
o '^ 



L e. 




THE 



WESLEY OFFERING; 



OR, 






WESLEY AND HIS TIlFS - 



KEV. D. HOLMES, A.M., 

AUTHOR OF "PURE GOLD." ETC. ETC. 




"Eighty-seven years have 1 sojourned on this earth endeavoring to do good."— J. Wesley. 

u Wesley was a man whose eloquence and logical acuteness might have rendered him emi- 
nent in literature, whose genius in government was not inferior to that of Richelieu, and who, 
whatever his errors may have bsen, devoted all his powers, in defiance of obloquy and derision, 
to what he sincerely considered as the highest good of his species."— Macaulay. 



AUBURN: 
DERBY AND MILLER. 



1852. 




**> 



Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1852, by 

DERBY AND MILLER, 
in the Clerk's Office for the Northern District of New York. 



STEREOTYPED BY THOMAS B. SMITH, 
216 WILLIAM STREET, N. Y. 



PEEFACE. 

The life and character of John Wesley are public 
property. Like most men who have acquired an en- 
during fame and a place in history, he has had the 
fortune, or misfortune, to be written in different and con- 
flicting characters, by authors who have formed dissimilar 
tastes and views under the influence of some peculiar 
type of philosophy or religion. 

Some of his biographers have been sufficiently lauda- 
tory to satisfy his warmest friends — perhaps too much so 
for accuracy and impartiality ; others have marred their 
productions by personal interests and feelings ; and still 
others have interspersed their pages with sly innuendoes, 
bitter sarcasms and spiteful flings at " ambition," " en- 
thusiasm," and " superstition," which though intangible, 
like ghosts, seemed to haunt them at every step of their 
progress. 

We do not include in this description the Life of 
Wesley by Richard Watson. This is both able and im- 
partial, though too much loaded with doctrinal discus- 
sions to be read with interest by all classes. 

The title prefixed to the following pages expresses 



iv PBBPAOB. 

accurately the nature and design of the work. It, does 
not claim to !>••, h biography, in the full sen e of that 
won! nor pet a detailed history of the Wealeyan Refor- 
mation, li. is rather a collection of facta and incidents, 
as found in the character of the times, in the life and 
labors of the Wealej , •■""I the progress of the work of 
religion promoted by them, combined, not with atrid re- 
gard to chronological order, according to the beat judg- 
ment of the author, It. is dedicated to the admin r of 
Wei ley, and to all Chriatiam , and the inter© I of ( 'hria 
tianil v generally. 

In preparing this work, the author baa made free use 
of whatever suited bii purpose in the biographies and 
histories by Whitehead, Southey, Watson, Jackson, 
Banga, Sandford, and others; but bas chiefly consulted 
the copioua journal of J. Wealey. The usual mark have 
been employed to distinguish borrowed matter from that 
which is original, 

The book is now given to the public without apology, 
and with little solicitude for its fate. If any shall iin<l 
;i much plea lire and profit in reading aa the author l>as 
in writing it, neither the author nor public will regret its 
publication. 

Ai:im;r';, M:iy, I 86 2. 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER I. 

PAOK 

Influential Position of the English Nation — Revolution of 
1688 — Its Influence on the Character of the Eighteenth 
Century — On Civil and Religious Liberty — Not promo- 
tive of pure Religion — Selfishness and Infidelity of the . 
principal Actors — Mystery of Iniquity — Church and 
State under the Reign of Constantine — Dying Lamenta- 
tion of Luther — Reformation in England — Extract from 
Macaulay — Henry VIII. — Queen Elizabeth — State of 
Religion in the Morning of the Eighteenth Century — In- 
fidel Publications — Infidel Tendencies of the Age — 
Heretics in the Church — Ignorance and Vlciousness of 
the Clergy — Immorality of the People — Testimony of 
Bishop Burnett — J. Wesley — Bishop Seeker — Rev. J. 
Murrion — Dr. Watts — Bishop Butler — Necessity of a 
Reformation 11 



CHAPTER II. 

God's Providence — Illustrated in the History of Joseph — 
The Jewi-h Nation — David — Luther — Also, in raising up 
the Wesleys to reform the Church and save the Nation 
— Wesley's Ancestors — Samuel Wesley, sen. — Mrs. Su- 
sannah Wesley — Dr. Annersle\ — Remarkable Character 
of Mrs. Wesley — Account of her Death — Early Life of 



VI CONTENTS. 

PA.G1 

J. "Wesley — Remarkable Escape, from a Terrible Death 
— Mrs. "Wesley's S\stem of Domestic Education — Her 
special Interest in the Education of her Son John— Mater- 
nal Influence on the Character of Great Men — Alfred the 
Great — Milton — Cecil — Dr. D wight — Washington — John 
Quincy Adams — Wesley is put to School at the Age of 
Eleven — At Sixteen he is at Oxford — Graduates — His 
Literary Taste — Seriousness in View of Ordination to 
the Ministry — Interesting Correspondence with his Mother 
— Devotes himself to God — Is Ordained — Literary- 
Honor — Elected Fellow — Ordained Priest — Charles Wes- 
ley at College — Forms a Literary Society — John becomes 
a Member — The term Methodist — The Brothers differ in 
Character, but are united in Purpose — Their changeless 
Vow 37 



CHAPTER III. 

Experimental Religion is Divinity in Man — Not of this 
World — Its earnest Devotees regarded as Enthusiasts — 
The Model Family of Samuel Wesley, sen. — Its Influence 
upon the Character of "Wesley — He distinguishes himself 
as a Tutor at the University — And as a Logician — His 
strict Religious Life — The Methodist Society at Oxford — 
J. Wesley is at the head of it — Its Members are Perse- 
cuted — Mr. Wesley is advised and encouraged by his 
Father — "Holy Club" — Death of Mr. Morgan — Poetry 
— Death of Samuel Wesley, sen — The Wesleys embark 
for Georgia as Missionaries to the Indians — Their Dili- 
gence and Faithfulness — Difficulties and Trials — John 
Wesley prosecuted — Returns to England after an Ab- 
sence of nearly Two Years 66 



CHAPTER IV. 

The Wesleys again in England — Reflections on their Mission 
— Acquaintance with the Moravians — Convinced they 



CONTENTS. VII 

PAGB 

were never Converted — Visit to Oxford — Peter Bohler — 
His Advice — Justification by Faith — John and Charles 
Wesley experience this Blessing — Contrast in their Feel- 
ings — Mr. Wesley vi.-its Germany — Count Zinzendorf — 
Moravian Church — Returns to England — Zeal and Ear- 
nestness — Attracts great Attention — Excluded from the 
Churches — Preaches in the Fields — Persecution — Dia- 
logue with the Leader of a Mob — Dialogue with the 
Bishop of Bristol . ■. 89 



CHAPTER V. 

Decision of the Wesleys — The "Rubicon passed" — Their 
Zeal, and its Effects — Numerous Conversions — First 
Religious Society formed by Mr. Wesley — Increase of 
Societies — Importance of these Societies — Testimony of 
Dr. Clarke — Anecdote of Mr. Whitefield — Rapid Increase 
of the Revival — Opposition of the Clergy — Rules to be 
observed in Writing against the Reformation — Rules of 
the Societies — Enlargement of the Work — Leadings of 
Providence — Lay Preachers employed — Thomas Max- 
well — Mrs. Wesley's Advice — Church Bigotry and Aris- 
tocracy — Wesley's Defence of Lay Preaching — Wesley's 
Position similar to that of Luther — Erection of Chapels — 
Foundry — Orphan House — Morning Preaching — Charac- 
ter of the Congregation at the Foundry — Of the Preach- 
ing — Of the Singing — Effects upon the Multitudes at- 
tending 116 



CHAPTER VI. 

The Reformation Systematized — Circuits formed — Activity 
and Vigilance of Wesley — Authority and Influence over 
his Preachers — The first Conference — Test of a Call to 
the Ministry — Character of the Wesleyan Preachers- 
Stability and Power of the Reformation — Its Aggressive 



Vlll CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

Character — Labors of Wesley extended to Ireland and 
Scotland — Persecution of the Irish Catholics — Reforma- 
tion extended to America — First Society formed in John 
Street, New York — Philip Emory — Capt. Webb — As- 
sistance of Men and Money from England — First Amer- 
ican Church — Renewed Persecutions against Methodism 
— Slander — Calvinian and Antinomian Controversy — Its 
Origin — Mr. Whitefield — Systematic Attack upon the 
Doctrine of Free Grace — Circular of Mr. Shirley — Re- 
sponse of Mr. Hill, and others — Impromptu Remarks 
of Wesley — Public Demonstration of Calvinian Divines 
against Arminian Heresy — Conference of 1771 — Mr. 
Fletcher — Sketch of his Life — Anecdote — Becomes to 
Wesley what Melancthon was to Luther — His Response 
to the Circular — Conducts the Controversy in Oppo?ition 
to several distinguished Divines — Floors his Antagonists 
— His Remarkable Talent — His Christian Spirit — His 
Writings published, entitled "Checks to Antinomianism" 
— Read with great Avidity on both sides of the Atlantic 
— Reflections of Wesley — Anecdote of a Clergyman — 
Anecdote of Dr. Rush 143 



CHAPTER VII. 

Position of Charles Wesley — Johu Wesley the Hero of the 
Reformation — Opposition overruled for good — Visit to 
Ireland — To Scotland — Is honored with the Freedom of 
Perth, a City of Scotland — Conference of 1773 — Wesley's 
Health and Activity — Preaches from two to four times 
each Day — Extensive Travels — Reflections on the Causes 
of Superannuation — Remarks of Wesley on entering his 
72 Year — Progress of the Reformation to 1775 — Number 
of Preachers — Of Members of Society — Amount of Pop- 
ulation — Proposition to Mr. Fletcher — Legal Incorpora- 
tion of the Conference — Letter to the Conference to be 
read after his Death — Reflections on entering his Eighty- 
first Year — Organization of his American Societies into 
an Independent Episcopal Church — The Case stated — 



CONTEXTS. IX 

PAGE 

His View of Diocesan Episcopacy and the Succession — 
Defence of Presbyterian Ordination — The Subject sum- 
med up in Seven Propositions 182 



CHAPTER VIII. 

Wesley outlives his Contemporaries — Death of Mr. White- 
field — Death of Fletcher — Death of Charles Wesley- 
Reflections on entering his Eighty-fifth Year — His Pop- 
ularity and Activity in Old Age — Symptoms of Decay — 
Writes his last Sermon — Reflections on entering his 
Eighty-eighth Year — His composure in View of Death — 
His Advice to the American Societies — His last Sermon 
— He is taken ill, and obliged to desist from Labor — His 
cheerful and happy Frame of Mind — A circumstantial 
Account of his triumphant Death — His Funeral — The 
Affection of the People — Inscription upon his Tomb — 
Impression upon the Public Mind — Extract from his Will 214 



CHAPTER IX. 

Character of Wesley — Necessity of Faith in estimating it — 
Mistakes of Southey — Macaulay's Opinion of Southey — 
Portraits of Wesley : his Personal Appearance — True 
Greatness — Wesley a Great Man — Wesley as a Scholar 
— As a Writer — Characteristics of his Style — As a Poet 
— Poetic Talent in the Family — Specimens — As a 
Preacher — Wrote much, but Preached without Notes — 
His Manner — Character of his Preaching — As a Christian 
— Deep Experience — Plainness of Speech — Letter to a 
distinguished Baronet — Letter to one of his Preachers — 
His Catholicity — His Philanthropy — Liberality to the 
Poor — Rule for getting and giving — Rendering an Ac- 
count of his Silver Plate — His Views of the Liquor Traffic 
— His Views of Slavery — Letter to Wilberforce — Wesley 
in Social Life — Opinion of Dr. Johnson — Beautiful Ex- 
tract — The Lines of Cowper 239 



X CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER X. 

PAGE 

Conclusion — The incidental Evils of a Reformation — Their 
Cause and Cure — Extract from Macaulay — How to test 
a Reformation — Difference between the Lutheran and 
Wesleyan Reformations — Charges of Enthusiasm, Am- 
bition and Superstition considered — Extracts from Mr. 
Alexander Knox, Esq. — Astonishing Results of the Life 
and Labors of Wesley — Utilitv of the Reformation . 277 



CHAPTER I. 



" And conscious truth and honesty are made 
To rise and fall like other wares of trade."— Moore. 

" Even grave divines submit to glittering gold, 
The best of consciences are bought and sold." 

Dr Wolcot's Peter Pindar. 

"What is a church ?— Our honest sexton tells, 
'Tis a tall building, with a tower and bells."-^CRABBE. 



The commanding position and immense power 
of the British Empire, have, for three centuries, 
qualified it to contribute largely in shaping the 
political and religious features of the civilized 
world. Few, if any, revolutions have occurred 
within that period, either in church or state, in 
which that nation has not been in one way or 
another a distinguished actor ; and she now 
forms a centre of political and moral light and 
power unrivalled in grandeur and control, and 
from which moral illumination and effective in- 
fluence are diverging in every direction, and ex- 
tending to the remotest nation under heaven. 



12 WESLEY OFFERING. 

The time will doubtless come, when (if she be 
not recreant to her trust) America will take pre- 
cedence in all these respects ; but that time is 
not yet. She possesses the attributes of supe- 
rior greatness, but they are not yet sufficiently 
combined and harmonized ; they lack solidarity 
and concentration, and are yet too much under 
the power of elements antagonistic to the highest 
and most perfect ends of civil and religious rule. 

The character of the eighteenth century was, 
for the most part, formed by the agency of causes 
having their existence, if not their origin, in the 
century preceding, and which extended their 
moulding influence to subsequent times. The 
revolution of 1688, which put an end to the 
dynasty of the Stuarts, also terminated the 
struggle for political ascendency in the nation 
between Protestantism and Popery, in favor of 
the former, by placing the sceptre of power in 
the firm grasp of William, Prince of Orange. 
This revolution was the last that has occurred on 
British ground. A conviction has seized the 
public mind that there is a better way to correct 
abuses, whether in church or state, than by a 
resort to arms, — that the means of effecting 



WESLEY OFFERING. 13 

every improvement demanded by the wants of 
society may be found within the constitution it- 
self, and without the enactments of war and 
blood. To this conclusion, so true in itself, and 
so precious to the heart of every philanthropist 
and Christian, the public sentiment, not merely 
of England, but of the civilized world, is rapidly 
tending. 

Not only was the question of supremacy be- 
tween Protestantism and Popery settled by the 
contests of the seventeenth century, but also cer- 
tain differences between the people and the 
crown, touching liberty on the one hand and 
prerogative on the other, were so composed, that 
very little difficulty has arisen on these accounts 
since that period. The fierce struggle which had 
continued during four reigns between the throne 
and the parliament, terminated with the reign 
of James II., and thenceforth the executive and 
legislative departments of state have been so 
united that neither has impeded the just meas- 
ures of the other — neither has felt impelled to 
assume the prerogatives of the other, on suppo- 
sition that the public good required it. No 
doubt other advances will yet be made in Britain 



14 WESLEY OFFERING. 

in respect to liberty and equal rights — important 
privileges will yet be claimed by the people and 
conceded, by the crown : but one point of vast 
importance has been gained. It is established, 
that a constitutional monarchy, under suitable 
guards and restrictions, is not incompatible with 
civil and religious liberty, and that the throne is 
never more secure than when sustained — not by 
the strong arm of tyranny — not by standing 
armies — but by the confidence and affections of 
a free and grateful people. 

We shall commit a great mistake, however, 
if we suppose the contests which took place in 
the seventeenth century between the several re- 
ligious communities, who in that age struggled 
for ecclesiastical and political pre-eminence, tend- 
ed, or were designed even, to promote the spirit 
and practice of true Christianity. Some of the 
grosser superstitions and more palpable theoretic 
errors, were doubtless thrown off, but the imme- 
diate fruit was adverse, rather than otherwise, 
to the spirit of vital godliness and true piety. A 
large body of the common people were, most 
likely, sincere in their zeal for what they be- 
lieved to be essential in doctrine and ritual ; 



WESLEY OFFERING. 15 

though, even with them, the mightier matters 
of the law, "judgment and the love of God," 
were mostly disregarded. 

"With the principal actors in those scenes which 
revolutionized the kingdom, and in which, pro- 
fessedly, a pure religion was the object, selfish- 
ness was the real motive power and ruling prin- 
ciple. They were not governed by the dictates 
of conscience, or an honest desire to please God 
and promote his glory. Their object seemed to 
be, to take such advantage of the religious ten- 
dencies of the public mind as would be most 
likely to advance them to place and power ; and 
if they could gain their end and enjoy the honors 
and emoluments of office, they had little care 
whether the Author of that religion, for the purity 
of which they had manifested so much concern, 
were honored or blasphemed. 

This indeed was not more true of the men of 
that, than of some other periods. This corrup- 
tion of heart and selfishness of purpose have 
marked the conduct of mankind, more or less, in 
every age of the Church ; particularly when re- 
ligion has been allied to the State, and has leaned 
upon the secular power for protection and propa- 



16 WESLEY OFFERING. 

gation. It is a fruit of that depravity which in 
one way or another, shows itself under all cir- 
cumstances, and, even in matters of religion, 
demands that personal and worldly interests 
should take precedence of the claims of Grod. 

This mystery of iniquity began to work in the 
apostolic age, which was doubtless the purest 
age of the Christian Church which has yet trans- 
pired, though not the purest we are authorized, 
to expect. But a vast change took place in 
subsequent times. That unholy alliance consum- 
mated between the Church and the Homan Em- 
peror, became the fruitful source of corruption and 
degeneracy. The Church and its ministry be- 
came secularized. The Emperor, just established 
upon his throne, flattered the clergy, to secure 
their influence. The clergy, now escaped from 
persecutions and confiscations on account of their 
religion, flattered the Emperor, to secure and re- 
tain his favor and patronage. By mutual flat- 
tery, they were mutually corrupted. The Church 
and ministry lost the spirit of their calling, and 
sought by temporal power and worldly policy, to 
effect, what, in the order of God, can only be 
achieved by personal piety, Christian duty, and 



WESLEY OFFERING. 17 

holy living, with an humble dependence on the 
blessing of heaven. 

Corrupt and selfish men became leaders in the 
Church, and gave direction to her affairs — the 
various grades of office in the ministry were 
filled by unprincipled incumbents — the doctrines 
and worship became modified by the vicious er- 
rors and superstitions of heathenism — the glory 
departed, and little else was seen than a huge 
mass of moral putrefaction. 

This state of things continued, and waxed 
worse and worse for ten centuries. During this 
long night only here and there a ray of light 
streaked the moral horizon ; and these soon dis- 
appeared to leave a sense of darkness more op- 
pressive and profound. An occasional flicker 
from the socket of the lamp of truth, or a spas- 
modic gasp for the breath, of divine life, with 
now and then a fitful struggle to rise to a state 
of comparative decency, not to say purity, con- 
stituted all the proofs given by that polluted 
thing called the Church, that moral life was not 
wholly extinct. 

And that glorious revolution and reformation, 
effected under Grod through the instrumentality 
2 



18 WESLEY OFFERING. 

of Martin Luther, did not operate an entire cure 
of the disease which had fastened with so much 
virulence upon the vitals of the Church. Lu- 
ther was successful in his attacks upon celibacy, 
purgatory, indulgence, and some other monstrous 
corruptions which Romanism had engrafted upon 
true religion ; and multitudes were enabled to 
follow his example, and throw off the rubbish 
beneath which truth had been buried for ages : 
but few went farther than this. The Reforma- 
tion, in that age, did little else than relieve the 
Church of doctrinal absurdities and abomina- 
tions. With few exceptions, the religion of the 
heart was poorly understood, and still less prac- 
tised ; and at the close of his singularly event- 
ful and useful life, the great Reformer himself 
lamented the destitution of practical godliness. 
With all their hatred of popery and its horrible 
corruptions, his followers had not learned the 
importance of experimental and practical piety. 

In England the Reformation was less complete 
than in Germany. It had a beginning by no 
means auspicious. It had no Luther, Melanc- 
thon, Calvin, or Knox, to open channels for its 
progress, and stamp it with an enduring character. 



WESLEY OFFERING-. 19 

"England," says Macaulay, "has no such 
names to show : not that she wanted men of 
sincere piety, of deep learning, of steady and 
adventurous courage. Bat these were thrown 
into the background. Elsewhere men of this 
character were the principals. There they acted 
a secondary part. Elsewhere, worldliness was 
the tool of zeal. There, zeal was the tool of 
worldliness. A king, whose character may be 
best described by saying that he was despotism 
itself personified, unprincipled ministers, a ra- 
pacious aristocracy, a servile parliament, — such 
were the instruments by which England was 
delivered from the yoke of Rome. The work 
which had been begun by Henry, the murderer 
of his wives, was continued by Somerset, the 
murderer of his brother, and completed by Eliza- 
beth, the murderer of her guest. Sprung from 
brutal passion, nurtured by selfish policy, the 
Reformation in England displayed but little of 
what had in other countries distinguished it — 
unflinching and unsparing devotion, boldness of 
speech, singleness of eye. These were indeed to 
be found ; but it was in the lower ranks of the 
party which opposed the authority of Rome, in 



20 WESLEY OFFERING. 

Hooper, Latimer, Rogers, and Taylor. Of those 
who had any important share in bringing the 
alteration about, the excellent Ridley was per- 
haps the only person who did not consider it a 
political job." With these facts in view, it can- 
not appear wonderful that the English Church 
should come through the Reformation hut half 
reformed. She broke away from the tyranny 
of the Roman Pontiff, but it was only to receive 
laws from another Pope, in the person of Henr/ 
the Eighth, whose standard of orthodoxy was 
made up of the dogmas of his own bigoted faith, 
tyrannically enforced by his irresponsible power, 
and who was quite as ready to burn heretics as 
" His Holiness" had ever been. 

The state of things was little better under 
Elizabeth, who never allowed liberty of conscience 
during the forty years of her reign. In repudi- 
ating Rome, therefore, the English church only 
exchanged one form of despotism for another 
equally odious and detestable. 

The union between the Church and State, at 
first so fatal to her purity, being still continued, 
though disconnected from the authority of Rome, 
prevented a successful Reformation. When such 



WESLEY OFFERING. 21 

union exists, the Church will never be more pure 
than the government with which it is allied, 
and Christ continues to be crucified in the house 
of his professed friends. The state being the 
fountain of ecclesiastical power, the streams 
which flow from it, share its corruption. The 
revolutions which took place between the death 
of Elizabeth and the accession of William and 
Mary, though decidedly favorable to civil liberty, 
seem to have worked much less advantage to 
the Church ; and as the elements of both Church 
and State became settled under the reign of 
the Prince of Orange, they remained, with no 
material change, at the commencement of the 
eighteenth century. 

Religion existed in the books of the Refor- 
mers, in the articles and ritual of the Church, in 
the heads of persecuting bigots, but with rare 
exceptions, the people were strangers to its in- 
fluence upon the heart. 

When religion is only known as embracing a 
catalogue of dogmas and a round of external 
ceremonies, it forms no sufficient security against 
the decay of public morals. Correct theory, 
democratic government, and wise and judicious 



22 WESLEY OFFERING. 

ecclesiastical rules are not indifferent in their in- 
fluence upon vital and practical godliness; but 
these, however perfect in themselves, do not 
produce holiness of heart, or purity of life. 
These fruits of Christianity are formed under a 
higher and more sacred influence. The doctrinal 
views of the English Church as put forth in the 
thirty-nine articles, are, in the main, correct; 
and her ritual and service, are by common consent 
acknowledged to be excellent. Yet for the most 
part there is a signal failure in the acquisition of 
evangelical piety, among those who worship un- 
der these forms and ceremonies. This was lament- 
ably true of the age of which we are speaking. 

The tendencies of the public mind in the first 
part of the eighteenth century are generally 
acknowledged to have been decidedly irreligious. 
The great majority of the clergy were uncon- 
verted men : and the body of the people, both in 
and out of the various religious communities, 
paid but a slight deference to the obligations of 
religion, or of morality. Moreover, much pains 
were taken at this time to spread the principles 
of infidelity. " The pernicious and wicked writ- 
ings of Hobbes, Toland, Blount, Collins, Mande- 



"WESLEY OFFERING. 23 

ville, Shaftesbury, Morgan, "Woolston, and Chubb, 
were then in full circulation : and the higher 
and more influential classes of society, were 
especially corrupted by their poison. The evil 
was aggravated by the appearance about the 
middle of the century, of the infidel specula- 
tions of Bolingbroke. By many it was regarded 
as a settled point that Christianity was a fable 
which they were justified in holding up to public 
reprobation and scorn." [Jackson's Centenary) 
The state of things both in the hierarchy, and 
among the dissenters, was most deplorable. 
There were a few most devoted and excellent 
Christians among both clergy and laity, who 
had not defiled their garments, and who literally 
wept and mourned over the desolations of Zion. 
If not literally, yet certainly in a moral and 
metaphorical sense, they might have adopted the 
language of the prophet Elijah, "Lord, they 
have slain thy prophets, and digged down thine 
altars, and I only am left, and they seek my life 
to take it away." They raised their warning 
voice against the corruptions of the times, but 
the tide swept onward with a fearfully increas- 
ing momentum. 



24 WESLEY OFFERING 

It may be set down as a singular fact, that 
though that age was distinguished for its learned 
men, though the field of philosophical inquiry 
was explored beyond any former example, the 
discoveries of Newton had filled the civilized 
world with astonishment, and the literature of 
the day was enriched with some of the most per- 
fect specimens of composition to be found in any 
age or country, yet, except for purposes of con- 
troversy, the talents of the learned and profound 
were rarely employed within the domain of the 
Church ; for such, the field of biblical literature 
seemed to have few attractions, and a gross 
ignorance of religious subjects generally pre- 
vailed. 

To the truth of this last remark, even the 
clergy of the national church did not form an 
exception. There were a few stars of .the first 
magnitude — a few really talented and learned 
men — learned in biblical and church lore — who 
consecrated their talents and acquisitions, to the 
cause of truth and righteousness. But the great 
mass of the clergy were sadly deficient, and 
many of them ignorant of the first principles of 
religion. As a whole, they were more distin- 



WESLEY OFFERING. 25 

guished for card-playing, wine-bibbing, and fox- 
hunting, than for anything elevated in character, 
or good and useful in their acquirements and in- 
fluence as Ministers. That it may not appear 
that we have set down aught in malice, we will 
give the testimony of Bishop Burnet, a distin- 
guished prelate of that day. In his " pastoral 
care," he holds the following language. " I am 
now in the seventieth year of my age ; and as 
I cannot speak long in the world in any sort, so 
I cannot hope for a more solemn occasion than 
this, of speaking with all due freedom to the 
present, and to the succeeding ages. Therefore 
I lay hold on it to give free vent to those sad 
thoughts that lie on my mind both day and 
night, and are the subject of many secret mourn- 
ings I cannot look on without the deep- 
est concern, when I see the imminent ruin hang- 
ing over this church, and by consequence over 
the whole Reformation. The outward state of 
things is black enough God knows ; but that 
which heightens my fears arises chiefly from the 
inward state, into which we are unhappily fallen. 
I will in examining this, confine myself to the 
clergy. Our Ember weeks are the burden and 



26 WESLEY OFFERING. 

grief of my life. The much greater part of those 
who come to be ordained, are ignorant to a de- 
gree not to be apprehended by those who are not 
obliged to know it. The easiest part of knowl- 
edge is that to which they are the greatest 
strangers. I mean the plainest part of the 
Scriptures, which they say, in excuse for their 
ignorance, that their tutors in the Universities 
never mention the reading of to them : so that 
they can give no account, or at least a very im- 
perfect one of the contents even of the gospels. 
Those who seem to have read some few books, 
yet seem never to have read the Scriptures. 
Many cannot give a tolerable account even of 
the catechism, how short and plain soever. They 
cry and think it a sad disgrace to be denied 
orders : though the ignorance of some is such 
that in a well-regulated state of things, they 
would appear not knowing enough to be ad- 
mitted to the hoiy sacrament. 

"This," continues the pious prelate, "does 
often tear my heart. The case is not much 
better in many, who having got into orders, come 
for institution, and cannot make it appear that 
they have read the Scriptures or any one good 



WESLEY OFFERING. 27 

book since they were ordained ; so that tho 
small measure of knowledge upon which they 
got into holy orders, not being improved, is in 
a way to be quite lost : and then they think it a 
great hardship to be told they must know the 
Scriptures, and the body of divinity better before 
they can be trusted with the care of souls. 
These things pierce one's soul, and make him 
often cry out. that I had wings like a dove: 
for then would T fly away and be at rest." 

The same facts in relation to the general char- 
acter of the clergy of that day were subse- 
quently brought out by Mr. J. Wesley, in de- 
fending the employment of lay preachers as 
helpers in the work of the ministry. " It has 
been loudly affirmed," says he, "that most of 
those persons now in connection with me, who 
believe it their duty to call sinners to repentance, 
having been taken immediately from low trades; 
tailors, shoemakers, and the like; are a set of 
poor stupid, illiterate men, that scarce know 
their right hand from the left : yet I cannot but 
say, that I would sooner cut off my right hand 
than suffer one of them to speak a word in any 
of our chapels, if I had not reasonable proof that 



28 WESLEY OFFERING. 

he had more knowledge in the holy Scriptures, 
more knowledge of himself, more knowledge of 
the things of (rod, than nine in ten of the clergy- 
men I have conversed with either in the Uni- 
versity or elsewhere." — (Sermons.) In his " ear- 
nest appeal to men of reason and religion," he 
holds the following language, — addressing him- 
self to clergymen : u Ye know in your own hearts 
(all that are candid men: all that are not utterly 
blinded by prejudice) that we 4 labor to have a 
conscience void of offence both toward God, and 
toward man.' Brethren, I would to God, that 
in this ye were even as we. But indeed (with 
grief I speak it) ye are not. There are among 
yourselves, ungodly and unholy men : openly, 
undeniably such: drunkards, gluttons, returners 
of evil for evil, liars, swearers, profaners of the 
day of the Lord. Proof hereof is not wanting if 
ye require it. Where then is your zeal against 
these ? A clergyman so drunk he can scarce 
stand and speak, may in the presence of a thou- 
sand people (at Epworth in Lincolnshire), set 
upon another clergyman both with abusive epi- 
thets and open violence. And what follows? 
"Why, the one is still allowed to dispense the 



WESLEY OFFERING. 29 

sacred signs' of the body of Christ : but the other 
is not allowed to receive them, because he is a 
field preacher ! ye pillars and fathers of the 
Church, are these things pleasing to Him who 
hath made you overseers of that church which 
he hath ' purchased with his own blood ?'" One 
of the natural results of this condition of things 
among the clergy, was contempt of evangelical 
truth, and the open advocacy of heresy. Many 
writers labored to give such prominence to 
natural religion, as greatly to depreciate the ne- 
cessity and importance of revealed religion, if 
not entirely to supersede it ; and of those who 
still held on to the Bible as the rule of faith, 
many openly denied, or covertly explained away 
the divinity of Christ, the personality and Deity 
of the Holy Ghost, and other kindred doctrines, 
which make up the substance of Christianity. 

In this unworthy cause, numbers of the clergy 
were found actively employed ; the very learned 
and distinguished Dr. Samuel Clark, Rector of 
St. James's, and enjoying the friendship and 
patronage of the queen, appeared as the open 
advocate of Arianism, in which work he was 
assisted by the celebrated Whiston ; and by Hal- 



30 WESLEY OFFERING. 

let and Peirce among the dissenters, with other 
writers of less renown. " A noisy prelate, Bishop 
Hoadly," says a recent writer, " seems to have 
given up all that is peculiar in Christianity in 
compliment to the deists, who cannot endure 
mysteries, and to have espoused substantially 
the Socinian heresy, while at the same time he 
retained his office and preferment in the estab- 
lished church. He was an endless writer of 
polemical pamphlets, and treatises, the spirit 
and tendency of which are thoroughly secular." 

That the ignorance of the Scriptures which 
prevailed generally among the clergy, and the 
zeal manifested by some of them in the dissemi- 
nation of the most pernicious forms of heresy, 
combined with the efforts of open and concealed 
infidels, who were enterprising and industrious 
in circulating their productions, should produce 
a copious harvest of corresponding fruit, need 
not excite surprise. These labors fell in with 
the lusts of human depravity ; and what must 
always occur in like circumstances, was true in 
this case. The barriers of virtue were broken 
down, and the floodgates of licentiousness, and 
all manner of corruption, were hoisted. The 



WESLEY OFFERING. 31 

tide rushed on with resistless fury, until few 
seemed to think it worth their while to main- 
tain the semblance of outward morality. 

That we are not making out too strong a 
case, will be sufficiently evident after reading 
the following paragraphs from the published 
writings of a few distinguished men of that day, 
who saw the prevailing corruption of the times, 
and lifted a voice against it. 

Archbishop Seeker. " Though it is natural to 
think those evils the greatest which we feel our- 
selves, and therefore mistakes are easily made 
in comparing one age with another ; yet in this 
we cannot be mistaken, that an open and pro- 
fessed disregard to religion is become, through a 
variety of unhappy causes, the distinguishing 
character of the present age ; that this evil is 
grown to a great height in the metropolis of this 
nation ; is daily spreading through every part 
of it ; and bad in itself as any can be, must of 
necessity bring in all others after it. Indeed 
it hath already brought in such dissoluteness 
and contempt of principle, in the higher part of 
the world, and such profligate intemperance, 
and fearlessness of committing crimes in the 



32 WESLEY OFFEKING. 

lower, as must, if this torrent of impiety stop 
not, become absolutely fatal. And God knows, 
so far from stopping, it receives, through the ill 
designs of some persons, and the inconsiderate- 
ness of others, a continual increase. Christian- 
ity is now ridiculed and railed at with very little 
reserve ; and the teachers of it without any at 
all." 

Bishop Gibson. " They who live in these 
great cities (London and "Westminster), or have 
had frequent recourse to them, and have any 
concern for religion, must have observed with 
great grief that profaneness and impiety are 
grown bold and open ; that a new sort of a vice 
of a horrible nature, and almost unknown be- 
fore in these parts of the world was springing 
up and gaining ground among us, if it had not 
been checked by the seasonable care of the civil 
magistration : that in some late writings, public 
stews have been openly vindicated, and public 
vices recommended to the protection of the gov- 
ernment, as public benefits ; and that great 
pains have been taken to make men easy in 
their sins, and deliver them from the restraints 
of conscience, by undermining all religion, and 



WESLEY OFFERING. 33 

promoting atheism and infidelity; and what 
adds to the danger, by doing it under specious 
colors and pretences of various kinds. . . . And 
all, or most of these writers, under color of 
pleading fur the liberties of mankind, have run 
into an unprecedented licentiousness in treating 
the important and serious concerns of religion in 
a ludicrous and reproachful manner." 

A reference to the writings of the dissenters 
affords no relief to the dark shades of this pic- 
ture. 

Rev. John Hurrion. " The malignant op- 
position made to him (the Holy Spirit) by some, 
and the vile contempt cast upon him by others, 
are things which have quenched and grieved 
him, and caused him to depart to that degree, 
as hereby, almost all vital religion is lost out of 
the world. Hence it is that the glory of Grod in 
Christ, the faith, joy, and zeal of Christians, are 
under such a cloud at this day." 

Dr. Watts. "I am well satisfied that the 
great and general reason (for the declension of 
the dissenting interest), is the decay of vital re- 
ligion in the hearts and lives of men ; and the 
little success which the ministrations of the gos- 



84 WESLEY OFFERING. 

pel have had of late in the conversion of sinners 
to holiness, and the recovery of them from the 
state of corrupt nature and the course of this 
world to the life of God by Jesus Christ, the de- 
clension of virtue and piety is a general 

matter of mournful observation among all that 
lay the cause of Grod to heart ; and therefore it 
cannot be thought amiss for every one to use all 
just and proper efforts for the recovery of dying 
religion in the world." 

Many pages might be filled with similar com- 
plaints of the irreligion and corruption of the 
times. The few wlio had spiritual discernment 
enough to perceive the tendency of things ; and 
love enough for (rod and his cause to feel 
shocked at the prevailing infidelity and impiety, 
raised the warning voice, and sought to check 
the impetuous torrent, but to no purpose ; the 
river of death still swept onward, and moral 
desolation was spread on every hand. The very 
expressive language of Bishop Butler has often 
been quoted, and may properly close our list of 
authorities on this mournful subject. 

" It is come," says he, " I know not how, to be 
taken for granted, by many persons, that Chris- 



WESLEY OFFERING. 35 

tianity is not so much as a subject of inquiry ; 
but that it is now, at length, discovered to be 
fictitious. And, accordingly, they treat it as if, 
in the present age, this were an agreed point 
among all people of discernment, and nothing re- 
mained but to set it up as a principal subject 
of mirth and ridicule, as it were, by way of re- 
prisals, for its having so long interrupted the 
pleasures of the world." 

Such, morally and religiously, was the state 
of society in England, during the first half of 
the eighteenth century. With just cause of 
national pride on account of the success of her 
arms abroad, and the world-wide renown of her 
philosophers, and other literary men, whose 
achievements in science and letters were exciting 
universal attention ; the nation was nevertheless 
on the verge of ruin. Little as men generally 
think of it, there is an intimate, an inseparable 
connection between a nation's religion, and the 
public weal. " The fear of the Lord is the begin- 
ning of wisdom," in large communities as well 
as in respect to individuals : and woe to the na- 
tion which casts off the fear of God, and spurns 
the moral and religious restraints of his law and 



36 WESLEY OFFERING. 

government. He will not execute vengeance 
immediately, but show great forbearance — utter 
many warnings — offer many inducements to 
reformation — and employ many gracious influ- 
ences and agencies to effect a return to allegiance 
and duty. But if, after all, there be no sign 
of contrition, no disposition to repent and return 
to God ; if there be no power or authority in 
Church or State put forth to stay or control the 
profanity and licentiousness which have become 
public and common, such a nation will, as in 
the case of France, become, first a horrible scene 
of atheism and impiety, and then, of misery and 
desolation. To the verge of this precipice had 
the English nation approached at the time of 
which we are speaking. Another step would 
have engulfed her forever. Happy for her, and 
the world, that the agents raised up and em- 
ployed by divine providence to prevent so great a 
catastrophe, were enabled to conduct their re- 
forming enterprise to the goal of success. 



CHAPTER II. 



O, all-preparing Providence divine ! 

In ihy iarge book what secrets are enrolled ! 

It is thy wisdom strangely that extends 

Obscure proceedings to apparent ends. — Drayton. 

This is thy work, Almighty Providence. — Thomson. 

The mother in her office, ho'ds the key 

Of the soul ; and >hts it is who stamps the coin 

Of character, and makes ihe being who would be a savage 

But for her gentle cares, a Christian man. 

Then crown her queen o' the world.— Old Play. 



God governs the world by a particular Provi- 
dence, and it is his method to effect great pur- 
poses by agencies in themselves insignificant and. 
feeble. Foreseeing what will be needed at a 
particular juncture, he selects and prepares the 
means he designs to use in secret, and in his 
own way. When his time to act publicly ar- 
rives, and his hand is seen, his wisdom, goodness, 
and power are so conspicuous in the instruments 
employed, and in the results they accomplish, 
that it is manifest to the world, the mind that 
guided was divine. 



38 WESLEY OFFERING. 

This peculiarity in the administration of God, 
is illustrated in the general history of mankind ; 
but more particularly in his dealings with the 
world as its moral governor. Thus (xod raised 
up Abraham to be literally the Patriarch of the 
Jewish nation, and spiritually the Father of the 
faithful in all coming time. Joseph and Moses 
were important links in the chain of providence 
which connected the design with its completion, 
both of whom were fitted, for the parts they 
acted by adversity, and a severe course of men- 
tal and moral discipline. From a position com- 
bining great popularity with the most flattering 
prospects, David, the son of Jesse, was reduced 
to the condition of an outlaw ; and by his pain- 
ful extremities, taught divine dependence and self- 
reliance, before G-od would allow him to occupy 
the throne from which Saul and his posterity had 
been excluded. Martin Luther, the great Re- 
former of the sixteenth century, was educated 
and prepared for the task he afterwards per- 
formed, in a school of adversity so painful, that 
his existence was a continued conflict, and the 
hope and love of life at times almost taken away. 

By a similar process, did the wisdom of Grod 



WESLEY OFFERING. 39 

select and prepare a Reformer for the eighteenth 
century. The Church and nation, as we have 
already seen, were verging to ruin. The wisest 
and best saw and felt that a fearful crisis had 
come, and unless a reform could be effected, a 
dreadful catastrophe was inevitable. But where 
shall the work commence ? Who will strike the 
first blow ? There is power enough in the gov- 
ernment, wisdom and talent enough in the 
Church. If these powers and agencies will sub- 
mit to divine direction, and seek a baptism for 
the work, the desired end may be secured. But 
alas ! neither the government nor the Church 
are disposed to a work like this. There are 
many eminent men in the nation — eminent for 
age and experience — for taie.nt, learning, wisdom, 
and, a few at least, eminent for piety ; but no 
one of these is the chosen instrument of heaven 
to arrest the tide of irreligion, and save a nation 
from the impending judgments of God. 

God sees not as man sees. His ways are not 
as our ways, nor his thoughts as our thoughts. 
" He hath chosen the foolish things of the world 
to confound the wise : and the weak things of 
the world to confound things which are mighty : 



40 WESLEY OFFERINGS. 

and base things of the world and things which 
are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things 
that are not, to bring to naught things that are : 
that no flesh should glory in his presence." 

While infidels were diffusing their poisonous 
leaven among all ranks of society ; and the sen- 
sual and profane were gratifying the worst pas- 
sions of the human heart ; and the Church was 
twice dead, and ready to be plucked up by the 
roots ; and the few who were pious and spiritual 
were indulging in bitter and fruitless complaints 
at the degeneracy of the times ; and the state, 
as was said of Gallio, " cared for none of these 
things ;" — God had selected his agents, and was 
secretly and silently preparing them for the 
great battle which was soon to be waged with 
principalities and powers, and with spiritual 
wickedness in high places. 

Upon two young men of humble, though re- 
spectable origin : — viz. John and Charles Wes- 
ley, did G-od bestow the enviable distinction of 
rousing the nation from spiritual stupor, and 
conducting while they lived, as principal instru- 
ments in his hand, the most glorious revival of 
religion that has occurred since Apostolic times : 



WESLEY OFFERING. 41 

a revival which has in a greater or less degree, 
influenced for good, every department of Protes- 
tant Christendom, and whose spirit and power 
will be felt to the end of time. 

John and Charles Wesley, under divine Provi- 
dence, the founders of those religious bodies, 
known in England, the United States and else- 
where, as Methodists, were born in Ep worth in 
Lincolnshire : John in 1703, and Charles in 
1708. Their father, the Rev. Samuel Wesley, 
was Rector of their native parish. His ances- 
tors were distinguished for learning and piety 
among the Nonconformists: but his father dying 
when he was quite young, he was induced to 
forsake, the cause of the dissenters at an early 
period in life, and attach himself to the State 
Church. As is usual in such cases, Mr. Samuel 
Wesley ran into the opposite extreme, and from 
being a dissenter, or Nonconformist, he became 
a strenuous defender of High Church principles. 

To reward him for his service to the Church 
and crown as settled upon William and Mary, in 
uniting in defence of the Revolution of 1688, he 
was presented with the living of Epworth, and 
also that of Wroote in the same county. He 



42 WESLEY OFFERING. 

held the former more than forty years, and was 
distinguished for fidelity and zeal in discharging 
his parish duties. He was by no means deficient 
in talent and learning, as his published works 
afford honorable evidence. 

Mrs. Susanna "Wesley, the mother of John and 
Charles Wesley, was the daughter of Dr. Samuel 
Annesley, and as might be expected from the 
eminent character of her father, she was edu- 
cated with great care. Her father was Rector 
of the parish of Cripplegate, and was distin- 
guished for depth of piety, and rare ability as a 
preacher and writer. Though acknowledged to 
be an " Israelite indeed," yet he suffered much 
in the cause of the Nonconformists. As death 
approached his soul was filled with foretastes of 
glory. He exclaimed, " I will die praising thee, 
and rejoice that others can praise thee better. I 
shall be satisfied with thy likeness: satisfied! 
satisfied ! oh ! my dearest Jesus, I come !" Thus 
died this excellent man in 1696, in the seventy- 
seventh year of his age. 

Mrs. Wesley is acknowledged to have been a 
woman of extraordinary abilities. She is said 
to have mastered the whole controversy between 



WESLEY OFFERING. 43 

churchmen and dissenters, when only thirteen 
years old. Like her husband, she renounced 
nonconformity and became a member of the Es- 
tablished Church, early in life, of which she re- 
mained a pious and devoted member to the day 
of her death. She died July 23, 1742. Con- 
cerning her death, Mr. J. "Wesley inserted the 
following notice in his Journal. 

" I left Bristol in the evening of Sunday 18th, 
and on Tuesday came to London. I found my 
mother on the borders of eternity. But she had 
no doubt or fear : nor any desire but (as soon 
as God should call) ' to depart and be with 
Christ.' About three in the afternoon, I went 
to my mother, and found her change was near. I 
sat down on the bedside. She was in the last 
conflict: unable to speak, but I believe quite 
sensible. Her look was calm and serene, and 
her eyes fixed upward : while we commended 
her soul to God. From three to four, the silver 
cord was loosing, and the wheel breaking at the 
cistern ; and then, without any struggle, or sigh, 
or groan, the soul was set at liberty. "We stood 
round her bed, and fulfilled her last request, 
uttered a little before she lest her speech. ' Chil- 



44 WESLEY OFFERING. 

dren, as soon as I am released, sing a hymn of 
praise to God.' " 

The following epitaph, written by her son 
John, was placed upon her tomb-stone. 

HERE LIES THE BODY OF 

MRS. SUSANNA WESLEY, 

THE YOUNGEST AND LAST SURVIVING DAUGHTER OP 

DR. SAMUEL ANNESLEY. 

" In sure and steadfast hope to rise, 
And claim her mansion in the skies, 
A Christian here her flesh laid down, 
The cross exchanging for a crown. 

"True daughter of affliction she, 
Inured to pain and misery, 
Mourned a long night of griefs and fears, 
A legal night of seventy years. 

" The Father then revealed his Son 
Him in the broken bread made known. 
She knew and felt her sins forgiven, 
And (bund the earnest of her heaven. 

" Meet for the fellowship above, 
She heard the call, ' Arise, my love,' 
' I come,' her dying looks replied, 
And lamb-hke as her Lord she died." 

The advantage of such a parentage to the 
Wesleys was very great. From their earliest 
years, they had an example in the father, of all 



WESLEY OFFERING. 45 

that could render a clergyman respectable and 
influential : and in the mother, there was a sanc- 
tified wisdom, a masculine understanding, and 
an acquired knowledge which they regarded with 
just deference, after they became men and 
scholars. The influence of a piety so steadfast 
and uniform, joined to such qualities, and sof- 
tened by maternal tenderness, could scarcely 
fail to produce effect. The pure and manly 
character, the patriarchal sense, the active and 
unwearied habits of the father, with the calm, 
reflecting and stable qualities of the mother, 
were in particular, inherited by Mr. John Wes- 
ley ; and in him were most happily blended. 
A large portion of the ecclesiastical principles of 
the Rector of Epworth, was also transmitted to 
his three sons ; but while Samuel and Charles 
retained them least impaired, in John, as we 
shall see, they sustained in future life, consider- 
able modifications. It is an interesting fact, 
one worthy of profound attention, that most of 
those men, perhaps all, who have distinguished 
themselves as leaders in enterprises of extensive 
utility, and have left their mark upon the world, 
have been indebted to home influence for the pe- 



46 WESLEY OFFEEING. 

culiar type — those strong points in their charac- 
ter which have given them their power and suc- 
cess ; and in most cases this home influence has 
had its centre in the assiduous care, and mould- 
ing influence of a mother. Alfred the Great, 
who stands at the head of English Biography — 
was skilled in the science of government, — a pro- 
ficient in philosophy, history, geography, astron- 
omy, &c. &c, — owed all his intellectual cultiva- 
tion and true greatness to the ambition with which 
he was inspired by his mother, to attempt the 
reading of a manuscript of Saxon poetry. 

Milton, in the full consciousness that he had 
been made what he was by home influence and 
discipline, in anticipation of uniting with his 
parental ancestors in a brighter, better world, 



" We to ourselves, what time we seek again, 
Our native skies, and one eternal now 
Shall be the only measure of our being, 
Crowned all with gold, and chanting to the lyre 
Harmonious voice ; shall range the courts above, 
And make the starry firmament resound." 

It was under the tuition of his mother, that 
Dr. Dwight became skilled in the elementary 
branches of knowledge. The nursery in which 



WESLEY OFFERING. 47 

she reared her son was his school-room. Cecil 
said, " I detect myself to this day in laying 
down maxims in my family, which I took up at 
three or four years of age, before I could possi- 
bly know the reason of them." 

Washington, the Father of his Country, and 
under God, the Founder of American liberty, 
received his stamp of character, under the skil- 
ful hand and holy influence of his excellent 
mother ; and John Q,uincy Adams, with spark- 
ling eyes, and emphatic manner, acknowledged 
to a friend, that under Providence, he was in- 
debted to his mother for those principles and 
traits of character, which had made him good, 
great, and useful. 

Without doubt the model character of Mr 
Samuel Wesley, sen. contributed its share in 
forming and developing the minds of his sons ; 
but it is to the agency of his talented and de- 
voted wife, that 'we must particularly refer, in 
accounting for the remarkable traits of character 
which became so conspicuous in the lives of the 
Wesleys. 

As she had a very poor opinion of the common 
method of instruction which obtained in those 



48 WESLEY OFFERING. 

days, she took upon herself the instruction of 
her children in their early years. The following 
extract from one of her excellent letters to her 
husband when absent from home, will give 
some idea of the manner in which she performed 
her task. 

" As I am a woman, so I am also mistress of 
a large family. And though the superior charge 
of the souls contained in it, lies upon you, yet 
in your absence I cannot but look upon every 
soul you leave under my care, as a talent com- 
mitted to me under a trust from the great Lord 
of all the families of heaven and earth. And if 
I am unfaithful to him, or to you in neglecting 
to improve those talents, how shall I answer 
unto him, when he shall command me to render 
an account of my stewardship ? I take such a 
proportion of time as I can spare every night to 
converse with each child apart. On Monday I 
talk with Molly ; on Tuesday with Hetty ; 
Wednesday with Nancy ; Thursday with John ; 
Friday with Patty ; Saturday with Charles ; 
and with Emily and Suky together on Sunday." 
This was for the purpose of forming the religious 
character and principles of her children. In re- 



WESLEY OFFERING. 49 

spect to their general education, she lays down 
the following rules, which we take from another 
of her letters. 

" In order to form the minds of children, the 
first thing to be done is to conquer their will, 
an:l bring them to an obedient temper. ... I 
insist upon conquering the will of children be- 
times, because this is the only strong and ra- 
tional foundation of a religious education, with- 
out which both precept and example will be 
ineffectual. But when this is thoroughly done, 
then a child is capable of being governed by the 
reason and piety of its parents, till its own un- 
derstanding comes to maturity, and the princi- 
ples of religion have taken root in the mind. 
The children of this family (her own) were 
taught as soon as they could speak, the Lord's 
Prayer, which they were made to say, at rising 
and bedtime constantly, to which as they grew 
bigger, were added a short prayer for their pa- 
rents, and some collects, &c. 

" They were quickly made to understand they 
might have nothing they cried for, and in- 
structed to speak handsomely for what they 
wanted. 



50 WESLEY OFFERING. 

" None of them were taught to read till five 
years old, except Kizzy, in whose case I was 
overruled, and she was more years learning than 
any of the rest had been months." The follow- 
ing by-laws were established and observed in 
the family : — 

1. " It had been observed that cowardice and 
fear of punishment, often lead children into ly- 
ing, till they get a custom of it, which they can- 
not leave. To prevent this, a law was made, 
that whoever was charged with a fault of which 
they were guilty, if they would ingenuously 
confess it they should not be chastised. This 
rule prevented a great deal of lying. 

2. " That no sinful action, as lying, pilfering, 
playing at church, or on the Lord's day, disobe- 
dience, quarrelling, &c. should ever pass unpun- 
ished. 

3. " That no child should ever be chid or beat 
twice for the same fault; and that if they 
amended, they should never be upbraided with 
it afterwards. 

4. i; That every signal act of obedience, espe- 
cially when it crossed upon their own inclina- 
tion, should be always commended, and fre- 



WESLEY OFFERING. 51 

quently rewarded according to the merits of the 
case. 

5. " That if ever a child performed an act, or 
did anything with an intention to please, though 
the performance was not well, yet the obedi- 
ence and intention should be kindly accepted ; 
and the child with sweetness directed how to do 
better for the future. 

6. " That propriety be inviolably preserved, 
and none suffered to invade the property of an- 
other in the smallest matter. 

7. " That promises be strictly observed. . . . 

8. " That no girl be taught to work till she 
can read very well ; and then that she be kept 
to her work with the same application, and for 
the same time that she was held in reading. 
This rule also is much to be observed : for the 
putting children to learn sewing before they can 
read perfectly, is the very reason why so few 
women can read fit to be heard, and never to be 
well understood." 

These extracts are chiefly valuable, as they 
give an idea of the character of this remarkable 
woman, and show what thought and care she 
bestowed upon the rules she adopted, and the 



52 WESLEY OFFEKING. 

policy she pursued in forming the mind and 
character, and perseveringly seeking the highest 
good of her children. Under her management, 
family government was reduced to a perfect sys- 
tem, the harmonious working of which promoted 
the happiness of the whole, while it educated 
both the mind and heart of each individual. By 
accustoming her children to live by rule, strin- 
gent in the exclusion of vice, yet liberal in al- 
lowing room for the cultivation of every noble 
and generous sentiment and action, she taught 
them the duty and habit of obedience, the power 
of self-government, the love of generosity and in- 
tegrity ; and conducted them to manhood, and 
to the field of active duty, well fitted for the 
stern realities of life, or to enter the list as com- 
petitors for the prize of human distinction. 

Whether Mrs. Wesley supposed she saw talent 
in John which did not exist in her other sons, 
and therefore felt a stronger desire to develop 
and direct his mind ; or whether she had any 
presentiment of his future celebrity, or providen- 
tial indication of the important work he was to 
accomplish for God and his cause, is not clear : 
yet it is pretty certain that she felt a special in- 



WESLEY OFFERING. 53 

terest in his improvement, and took great pains 
to aid him in those acquisitions which contributed 
so much to his subsequent distinction and suc- 
cess. Perhaps she felt herself not only justified 
in this, but impelled to it, by the almost miracu- 
lous escape he had from a horrible death when 
only seven years old. The account she gives 
of this is as follows : 

" On Wednesday night, February the 9th, be- 
tween the hours of eleven and twelve, our house 
took fire, by what accident Grod only knows. It 
was discovered by some sparks which fell from the 
roof upon a bed where one of the children lay, and 
burnt her feet. . . . While Mr. Wesley was carry- 
ing the children into the garden, he heard the child 
in the nursery cry out miserably for help, which ex- 
tremely affected him : but his affliction was much 
increased, when he had several times attempted 
the stairs, then on fire, and found they would not 
bear his weight. Finding it was impossible to 
get near him, he gave him up for lost, and kneel- 
ing down, he commended his soul to Grod, and 
left him, as he thought, perishing in the flames. 
But the boy, seeing none come to his help, and 
being frightened, the chamber and bed being on 



54 WESLEY OFFERING. 

fire, he climbed up to the casement, where he 
was soon perceived by the men in the yard, who 
immediately got up and pulled him out, just in 
the article of time, that the roof fell in, and beat 
the chamber to the ground." 

Mr John Wesley's account of the occurrence 
is a little different from this given by his mother. 
" I believe," says he, " it was just at that time 
(when they thought they heard me cry) that I 
awaked For I did not cry, as they imagined, 
unless it was afterwards. I remember all the 
circumstances as distinctly as though it was but 
yesterday. Seeing the room was very light, I 
called to the maid to take me up. But none 
answering, I put my head out of the curtains, 
and saw streaks of fire on the top of the room. 
I got up and ran to the door, but could get no 
farther, all the floor beyond being in a blaze. I 
then climbed upon a chest which stood near the 
window : one in the yard saw me, and proposed 
running to bring a ladder. Another answered, 
there will not be time : but I have thought of 
another expedient. Here, I will fix myself 
against the wall, lift a light man, and set him 
on my shoulders. They did so, and he took me 



WESLEY OFFERING. 55 

out of the window. Just then the roof fell ; but 
it fell inward, or we had all been crushed at 
once. When they brought me into the house 
where my father was, he cried out, ; Come, 
neighbors ! let us kneel down ! let us give thanks 
to Grod ! he has given me all my eight children ; 
let the house go, I am rich enough.' The next 
day, as he was walking in the garden, surveying 
the ruins of his house, he picked up a leaf of 
his Polyglot Bible, on which just these words 
were visible, ' Vade ; vende omnia quce habes, 
et atlalle crucem, et sequere me.'' ' Go : sell all 
thou hast, and take up thy cross and follow 
me.' " 

Small events are often important in the influ- 
ence they exert on individual character. It is 
quite probable that the mind of young Wesley, 
child as he was, received a religious impression 
by the circumstance above described, which never 
left him. He ever regarded it as a marked in- 
terposition of Providence, and, in allusion to it, 
denominated himself a " brand plucked from the 
burning." 

This remarkable escape of her son John, seems 
to have made a very deep impression upon the 



56 WESLEY OFFERING. 

mind of Mrs. Wesley : and hence, in one of her 
private meditations, she alludes to it in the fol- 
lowing language : " I do intend to be more 
particularly careful of the soul of this child 
that thou hast so mercifully provided for, than 
ever I have been : that I may do my endeavor 
to instil into his mind the principles of thy true 
religion and virtue. Lord, give me grace to do 
it sincerely and prudently, and bless my attempts 
with good success." 

" Her good endeavors (says Dr. Whitehead) 
were not without the desired effect ; for I be- 
lieve it was about this time, being about eight 
years old, that he began to receive the sacra- 
ment." 

In 1714, being eleven years old, he was for 
the first placed under an instructor : and the 
place selected was the " Charter-house." Here 
his diligence and progress in learning attracted 
notice ; for his quietness, regularity, and appli- 
cation, he became a favorite with the master, 
Dr. Walker ; and through life " he retained so 
great a predilection for the place, that on his an- 
nual visit to London, he made it a custom to 
walk through the scene of his boyhood." " To 



WESLEY OFFERING. 57 

most men every year would render a pilgrimage 
of this kind more painful than the last ; but 
"Wesley seems never to have looked back with 
regret to the days that were gone ; earthly re- 
grets of this kind could find no room in one who 
was continually pressing onward to the goal." 
(Southey's Life.) 

In this school he remained until sixteen years 
of age, when he was elected to " Christ Church, 
Oxford," where, under the tuition of Dr. Wigan, 
who was eminent for his classical knowledge, he 
pursued his studies with great diligence and 
equal success. Though in acquiring his educa- 
tion he seems to have aimed at the clerical pro- 
fession, yet, from his entering college to about 
the time he received deacon's orders, it does not 
appear that he was distinguished for religious 
seriousness, or strictness in the observance of 
Church requirements. His natural temper in 
youth, was gay and sprightly, with an aptness 
for wit and humor, and his " perfect knowledge 
of the classics gave a polish to his wit, and an 
air of superior elegance to all his compositions." 

It is not to be supposed that a young man of 
the education of Mr. Wesley, the foundation of 



58 WESLEY OFFERING. 

which had been laid by the pious attention and 
holy influence of his excellent mother, could enter 
into holy orders with a careless habit of mind. 
There was indeed very little in the manners of 
the clergy with whom he was conversant, either 
in the University or out of it, to impress his 
mind with the sanctity of their office or the pu- 
rity of their order. But the example of his 
father, and the united, solemn, and reiterated 
precepts of both his parents, had fixed in his 
mind such lofty ideas of what a Minister of 
Christ should be, that they were not to be dis- 
placed by the careless spirit and lax morality of 
a time-serving Priesthood. He had lost some- 
what of the seriousness and strictness with which 
he entered at Oxford, but as the time of his or- 
dination approached he roused himself from the 
religious declension into which he had fallen, 
and gave his mind to those studies and reflec- 
tions which were best adapted to fit him for his 
consecration. 

This religious change in his feelings being dis- 
closed in his correspondence with his mother, ex- 
cited much interest in her mind, and called forth 
from her a reply which is marked by so much 



WESLEY OFFERING. 59 

ability and good sense that we cannot forbear 
giving the following extract. 

" The alteration in your temper," says she, 
u has occasioned me much speculation. I, who 
am apt to be sanguine, hope it may proceed 
from the operations of (rod's Holy Spirit ; that 
by taking your relish from earthly enjoyments, 
he may prepare and dispose your mind for a 
more serious and close application to things of a 
more sublime and spiritual nature. If it be so, 
happy are you if you cherish these dispositions ; 
and now in good earnest resolve to make re- 
ligion, the business of your life. For, after all, 
that is the one thing, that strictly speaking, is 
necessary ; all things beside, are comparatively 
little to the purpose of life. I heartily wish you 
would now enter upon a strict examination of 
yourself, that you may know whether you have 
a reasonable hope of salvation through Jesus 
Christ. If you have, the satisfaction of know- 
ing it, will abundantly reward your pains: if you 
have not, yon will find a more reasonable occa- 
sion for tears, than can be met with in a tragedy. 
This matter deserves great consideration by all, 
but especially by those designed for the Minis- 



60 WESLEY OFFERING. 

try ; who ought above all things to make their 
own calling and election sure ; lest after they 
have preached to others, they themselves should 
be cast away." 

This most excellent and seasonable advice and 
exhortation was not lost upon the mind of young 
Wesley. He turned his attention anxiously, and 
zealously to the subject of Christian duty. And 
we may judge somewhat of his religious tastes 
and feelings at this time, from the fact, that 
among the books he read on divinity and prac- 
tical religion, we find the " Christian Pattern," 
by Thomas a Kempis, and Bishop Taylor's " Rules 
of Holy Living and Dying." He also read 
" Law's Serious Call," in doing which, he says, 
" I was more than ever convinced of the ex- 
ceeding height, and depth, and breadth of the 
law of Grod. The light poured in so. mightily 
upon my soul, that everything appeared in a 
new view. I cried to Grod for help, and resolved 
not to prolong the time of obeying hirn, as I had 
never done before. And by my continued en- 
deavor to keep his whole law, inward and out- 
ward, to the best of my power, I was persuaded 



WESLEY OFFERING. 61 

that I should be accepted of him : and that I 
was even then, in a state of salvation." 

The die was now cast : the life-long choice 
was made. He had come to that point in his 
history, when young men are most susceptible 
of being fascinated by fashion and display ; when 
they are most liable to make a mistake, and 
when the consequences of a mis-step are not 
easily retrieved. But his judgment, his con- 
science, his understanding of the word of Grod ; 
seconded as they were by the uniform examples, 
and repeated admonitions of his venerated parents, 
led him to prefer the path of humility and self- 
denial, with the approbation of Grod, to the 
worldly spirit, pompous vanity, and godless lives 
of those who had neither sense nor religion, but 
had entered the clerical profession because, in 
those times, it afforded the best chance of spend- 
ing a life of idleness and worldly indulgence, 
without ending it in destitution and want. He 
chose to suffer with Christ, rather than " enjoy 
the pleasures of sin for a season," and plant his 
dying pillow with thorns. 

Having given his mind to the work of prepara- 
tion for the ministerial office with the most con- 



62 WESLEY OFFERING. 

scientious care, he was ordained September 1725, 
by Dr. Potter, then Bishop of Oxford, being 
about twenty-two years of age. The year follow- 
ing he was elected Fellow of Lincoln College. 
He spent the summer after his election to the 
fellowship, with his parents, in Lincolnshire, and 
improved the opportunity it gave him of conver- 
sing at large upon those topics of experimental 
and practical religion, with which his mind was 
much occupied. In the fall, he renewed his 
studies at Oxford. His literary character was 
now established in the University : he was ac- 
knowledged by all parties to be a man of talents, 
and an excellent critic in the learned languages. 
His compositions were distinguished by an ele- 
gant simplicity of style, and justness of thought 
that strongly marked the excellence of his classi- 
cal taste. His skill in logic, or the art of reason- 
ing, was universally known and admired. " The 
high opinion that was entertained of him in 
these respects, was soon publicly expressed by 
choosing him Greek lecturer, and moderator of 
the classes on the seventh of November : though 
he had only been elected fellow of the College in 
March, was little more than twenty-three years 



WESLEY OFFERING. 63 

of age, and had not proceeded Master of Arts.'"* 
He took the Master's degree in 1727 : in August 
of the same year, he became his father's curate; 
and in 1728, he received Priest's orders at the 
hands of Bishop Potter. 

The year following, not being satisfied with 
the curacy, which he had undertaken at the im- 
portunate request of his father, and his return 
being desired by his college associates, he re- 
sumed his place in the classic halls of Oxford. 

On his return to Oxford, he found that his 
brother Charles had formed a society in college, 
for mutual assistance in study, and mutual con- 
sultation as to the best methods of improving 
time. Of this society Mr. John Wesley became 
a member. Charles Wesley, as has been al- 
ready stated, was a few years younger than his 
brother John. In several respects, which will be 
more fully illustrated in a future page, the 
two brothers differed in the prominent traits of 
their characters. John was thoughtful, medita- 
tive, serious, and not easily excited. He had 
acquired the power of self-government so per- 
fectly, that he could command his time, and 
* "Whitehead. 



64 WESLEY OFFERING. 

steadily pursue his object in spite of the allure- 
ments of vice, or the temptations of fashionable 
life. 

On the contrary, Charles was much more 
sprightly, vivacious, even gay, impulsive, and 
strongly inclined to fashionable pleasures. In 
these he continued to indulge for a while, at col- 
lege, in spite of the exhortation of his parents, 
and of his brother John. But he finally saw and 
acknowledged the folly of his course, and became 
sincerely religious. His own account of himself 
is, that he " lost his first year at college in di- 
versions ; that the next he set himself to study; 
that diligence led him into serious thinking; 
that he went to the weekly sacrament, persuad- 
ing two or three others to accompany him ; and 
that he observed the methods of study prescribed 
by the statutes of the university." 

" This," says he, " gained me the harmless 
name of Methodist." 

The brothers were now united in spirit, pur- 
suits, and design. Their spirit was that of 
humble inquiry, their pursuits, the acquisitions 
of the scholar and the Christian, and their de- 
sign, a life of devotion and usefulness. 



WESLEY OFFERING. 65 

Their religious experience was yet defective ; 
they had not yet entered into the " holy of ho- 
lies," by the " blood of Jesus," but were yet 
worshipping in the outer court; and they were 
also unacquainted with the lofty and gracious 
designs which God would unfold through their 
agency ; but, they had placed themselves under 
the guidance of his wisdom, and the protection 
of his providence, and their submissive spirit pro- 
nounced the changeless vow, 

" To hallowed duty, 
Here with a loyal and heroic heart, 
Bind we our lives." — Mrs. Osgood. 



CHAPTER III. 



Home is the resort 
Of love, of joy, of peace and plenty, where, 
Supporting and supported, polished friends 
And dear relations mingle into bliss. 

Thomson's Seasons 

Then the purposes of life 

Stood apart from vulgir strife, 

Labor in the path of duty 

Gleamed up like a thiug of beauty. — C. P. Cranch. 



Experimental and practical Christianity is 
divinity in man, moulding him to the image of 
God, and inspiring him with divine benevolence. 
Its motives and inspirations, have no earthly 
parallel. Hence those who are really the sub- 
jects of its hallowing and controlling power, are 
not like other men. Their inspirations are di- 
vine, their sympathies more sacred and disin- 
terested ; and their motives are drawn from a 
more lofty, ennobling, and extended view of 
man's character, relations and destiny. 

The world presents no specimens of disinter- 
estedness like those furnished by Christianity. 



WESLEY OFFERING. 67 

And the reason is obvious ; a stream cannot rise 
higher than its fountain. If the fountain be in 
the soil of human nature, the elevation and 
character of the stream, will correspond with its 
source. If the fountain be depraved and selfish, 
it can never send forth a stream, pure and divine. 

As to Christianity, the fountain is in heaven : 
it is divine. In great compassion to a polluted 
and unhappy race, God has turned its gushing 
and refreshing streams through this world ; and 
though they may sometimes be discolored in 
their progress by earthly impurities, yet there is 
usually enough of original purity and divinity 
remaining, to establish a broad line of distinc- 
tion, between them and everything of a merely 
earthly origin. 

Paul was not without his "infirmities," but 
he holds an honorable and conspicuous place 
amongst those who by divine power, have been 
raised far above the natural moral aspirations 
and powers of humanity. The spirit which led 
his divine Master to the cross, took full posses- 
sion of his well-cultivated mind. His compre- 
hensive intellect grasped with admiration the 
divine system of human redemption and salva- 



68 WESLEY OFFERING. 

tion, and to propagate its principles, he unre- 
servedly laid himself upon the altar of sacrifice. 
"What things were gain to him he counted loss, 
"yea, doubtless, I count all things but loss for 
the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus 
my Lord." 

It is not wonderful that those actuated by such 
a spirit, and moved by such motives, should ap- 
pear in the light of enthusiasts to a cold, calcu- 
lating, and selfish world. This charge — enthu- 
siasm, was brought against the true prophets of 
the Lord anciently. Christ and his apostles were 
denominated madmen, and Luther and Wesley 
have been, and still are, by many looked upon in 
the same light. So long as " the friendship of 
the world is enmity to God," they who "will 
live godly in Christ Jesus" shall suffer persecu- 
tion. At least they need not expect to escape 
the imputation of enthusiasm. But the answer 
of Paul, and the true answer for every one in like 
circumstances, is : " If we be beside ourselves, 
it is to God ; and if we be sober, it is for your 
cause ; for the love of Christ constraineth us be- 
cause we thus judge, that if one died for all, 
then were all dead," &o. 



WESLEY OFFERING. 69 

" The love of Christ doth me constrain 
To seek the wandering souls of men. 
"With cries, entreaties, tears to save. 
To snatch them from the gaping grave." 

We have already seen, that amid the moral 
desolation which at this time generally pervaded 
English society, the family of Samuel AVesley, 
father of John and Charles, existed as an oasis 
in the desert. It was a fountain of connubial, 
parental, and filial love, and constantly sent forth 
the streams of domestic felicity and joy. It was 
a model family, formed on Christian principles. 
Its order and happiness arose chiefly from su- 
preme love to G-od, and reciprocal good-will, re- 
spect, and affection. Sons and daughters reared 
in such a circle, and under such an influence, 
went forth into society with minds well disci- 
plined, characters well formed and evenly bal- 
anced, with virtues strongly guarded, and a reso- 
lute sentinel placed at each avenue to the heart, to 
forbid the approach of every evil. Such a family 
circle can only be formed and maintained upon 
the basis of true religion. Such a circle must 
have been in the mind of the poetess, Mrs. Hale, 
when she wrote — 



70 WESLEY OFFERING. 

" Home is the sphere of harmony and peace, 
The spot where angels find a resting-place, 
When, bearing blessings, they descend to earth." 

From such a home, under the forming power 
of which he had received a peculiar and indeli- 
ble stamp of character, Mr. John Wesley had 
now gone out, and was fairly launched upon, 
the sea of life. In the fullest sense of the word, 
he had become a man. His mind was of a su- 
perior order ; his education thorough and fin- 
ished ; his thirst for knowledge unconquerable ; 
his religious principles, as to the fundamentals 
of Christianity, unalterably fixed ; and though, 
as we shall see hereafter, his experience as a 
Christian was essentially defective, yet his mo- 
rality was so pure, and his religious habits so 
strict, that he had already become the object of 
ridicule and persecution to those of his college 
associates who were " lovers of pleasure more 
than lovers of God." 

From the time Mr. Wesley became again set- 
tled at Oxford, in November, 1729, he must be 
regarded as making a religious profession more 
strict and marked than he had done before. As 
there are some interesting facts in this part of 



WESLEY OFFERING. 71 

his history, perhaps we cannot present them 
better than by giving a few extracts from the 
pages of one of his biographers. 

" Hitherto we have viewed Mr. Wesley as the 
polite collegian, rising into notice and esteem for 
his literary talents ; and in the humble station 
of curate to his father. In consequence of the 
order he had received (from Oxford) he now 
entered upon a new situation : he obtained pupils 
and became a tutor in the college : he presided 
in the hall as moderater in the disputations, held 
six times a week, and had the chief direction of 
a religious society. 

As a tutor he was singularly diligent and 
careful of his pupils, considering himself respon- 
sible for them, not only to their parents and the 
community, but to God ; and therefore labored 
to make them both scholars and Christians. 
Some of them disapproved of his religious severi- 
ties, and refused to join with him in them, but 
still continued under his care as pupils, and 
warmly acknowledged their obligations to him. 
As moderator in the disputations, he acquired a 
facility and expertness in arguing, especially, as 
he himself observes, in " discerning and pointing 



<2 WESLEY OFFERING. 

out well-covered and plausible fallacies," which, 
afterward gave him great superiority over most 
of his numerous adversaries. But his endeavors 
to become religions will form the chief subject 
of this chapter. I call all that he did mere en- 
deavors, because he did not attain the end which 
he aimed at, peace of mind, comfort in God, and 
a command over all his passions. He was a long 
time before he was fully convinced that his own 
endeavors were insufficient to give him the 
mind that was in Christ. He clearly saw, in 
1725, what the gospel was intended to do for 
him, and for all mankind : to be the means of 
reconciling him to God, and giving him a title 
to the heavenly inheritance ; of cleansing him 
from sin, and preparing him for the enjoyment 
of heaven : and he retained this view of the 
general design of the gospel, from that period to 
the end of his life without the least variation. 
But he did not yet understand the method pro- 
posed in the gospel, of putting a sinner in posses- 
sion of these blessings, nor the order in which 
the mind is capable of acquiring them. It is 
true, he read the Scriptures daily, at this time, 
and in his religious researches, he was " homo 



WESLEY OFFERING. 73 

unius libri" a man of one book. But his pre- 
conceived opinions were as a blind before his 
mind, and completely hid from his view, the 
gospel method of attaining present salvation. 
This is no reproach to Mr. "Wesley, nor any objec- 
tion to the doctrines he afterwards embraced. It 
is the common lot of all men to imbibe in their 
youth, notions which afterwards hinder them 
from perceiving the most obvious truths. It is 
well known that the systems of natural philoso- 
phy, which ingenious men have formed and 
taught to young students, have been the chief 
hindrance to the progress of knowledge. "What 
kept his mind in a state of perplexity, was a 
confused notion of justification : which he either 
confounded with sanctification, or thought a 
man must be sanctified before he can be justified. 
This notion hindered him from perceiving, that 
to justify in the language of Paul, is to pardon a 
repenting, believing sinner as an act of grace : 
not for t.he sake of any previous holiness in him, 
but through Jesus Christ alone. As soon as he 
was convinced of this, he was no longer em- 
barrassed and perplexed ; he saw immediately 
the plan which the gospel proposes of reconciling 



74 WESLEY OFFERING. 

sinners to God, of making them holy in heart 
and life, and giving them a sure hope, full of 
immortality. But let us attend him through 
the period appropriated to this chapter, and we 
shall see the efforts of a great mind to do the 
will of Grod ; and every step we take, will con- 
vince us of the uprightness of his intention. 

It appears from the account I have given of 
Mr. Charles Wesley, that for more than two 
years before this time he had studied very hard, 
and through his brother's advice and influence, 
was become very serious ; that during the last 
summer he had received the sacrament weekly, 
and had prevailed on two or three young men to 
do the same ; and these gentlemen had occa- 
sionally met together for the purpose of assisting 
and encouraging each other in their duty, and 
of regulating their employments by certain rules. 
The regular method of arranging their studies 
and other employments, procured them the dis- 
tinguishing epithet of Methodists, which, accord- 
ing to Mr. Charles, was given them before his 
brother came to Oxford in November. This is 
probably the most accurate account ; for when 
Mr. Wesley speaks of this appellation, he men- 



WESLEY OFFERING. 75 

tions it only in general terms, without attempt- 
ing to state at what period of the society it was 
given. " The exact regularity of their lives, as 
well as studies," says he, "occasioned a young 
gentleman of Christ's Church to say, ' here is a 
new set of Methodists sprung up,' alluding to 
some ancient physicians, who were so called. 
The name was new and quaint ; so it took im- 
mediately, and the Methodists were known all 
over the university." 

It does not appear, however, that these gen- 
tlemen met together at any fixed or stated 
times, or that they had made any regulations 
for this purpose before Mr. John "Wesley joined 
them. When he came amongst them they 
gladly committed the direction of the whole to 
him ; and from this time, the society began to 
assume a more regular form : it is from this pe- 
riod, therefore, that he commences his history 
of it, in the following words : 

" In November, 1729, four young gentlemen 
of Oxford, Mr. John Wesley, fellow of Lincoln 
College ; Mr. Charles Wesley, student of Christ's 
Church ; Mr. Morgan, commoner of Christ 
church ; and Mr. Kirkham, of Merton College ; 



76 WESLEY OFFERING. 

began to spend some evenings in a week to- 
gether, in reading chiefly the Greek Testament. 
The next year two or three of Mr. John "Wesley's 
pupils desired the liberty of meeting with them ; 
and afterward one of Mr. Charles Wesley's pu- 
pils. It was in 1732, that Mr. Ingham of 
Queen's College, and Mr. Broughton of Exeter, 
were added to their number. To these in April, 
was joined Mr. Clayton of Brazen-Nose, with 
two or three of his pupils. About the same time 
Mr. James Harvey was permitted to meet with 
them, and afterwards Mr. Whitefield. These 
four young gentlemen continued their meetings 
for some time, without any other views than 
their own benefit. But in the summer of 1730, 
Mr. Morgan called at the gaol to see a man who 
was condemned for killing his wife, and told 
them, that from a conversation he had with 
one of the debtors, he verily believed it would 
do much good if any one would be at the pains 
of now and then speaking with them. Having 
mentioned this several times, Mr. Wesley and 
his brother Charles went with him on the 24th 
of August to the castle, and were so well satis- 
fied with their visit, that they determined to go 



WESLEY OFFERING. 77 

thither once or twice a week. They had not 
done this long, before Mr. Morgan, who seems to 
have led the way in acts of charity and benevo- 
lence to others, desired Mr. Wesley to go with 
him to see a poor woman in the town who was 
sick. When they began to reflect on the benefit 
this might be of to the poor, they thought it 
would be well worth while to spend two or 
three hours in the week in this species of char- 
ity, especially if the minister of the parish in 
which such person was, did not object to it. 
But as this practice was quite new, and had an 
appearance of irregularity, on which account it 
might give offence, Mr. Wesley did not choose to 
proceed any farther without advice." 

Having written for the opinion of his father, 
who, while he lived, he never failed to consult in 
respect to any difficult undertaking he had in 
view, he received a most encouraging letter, 
which closed as follows : 

" Go on, then, in God's name, in the path to 
which your Saviour has directed you, and that 
track wherein your father has gone before you ! 
For when I was an undergraduate, I visited those 
in the castle there, and reflect on it with great 



78 WESLEY OFFERING. 

satisfaction to this day. "Walk as prudently as 
yon can, though not fearfully, and my heart and 
prayers are with you. Your first regular step 
is to consult with him, if any such there be, who 
has a jurisdiction over the prisoners ; and the 
next is to obtain the direction and approbation 
of your Bishop. This is Monday morning, at 
which time I shall never forget you. Accord- 
ingly, to Him who is everywhere, I now heartily 
commit you." 

Having consulted and obtained the approbation 
of those referred to in the above extract, they 
supposed themselves secure against any opposi- 
tion which might otherwise arise. But in this 
they were mistaken. A mind at " enmity against 
God" will find methods of expressing its bitter- 
ness in spite of human influence or authority. 
The blameless deportment, and self-denying la- 
bors of the Wesleys and their associates, was a 
standing reproach to the old religious drones, 
who possessed nothing of Christianity but the 
name. The gay and sensual felt indignant that 
their pleasures and amusements should be de- 
spised by young men of such extensive attain- 
ments and so high reputation. "Wit and ridi- 



WESLEY OFFERING. 79 

cule, refined and vulgar, and sometimes angry- 
personal invectives were employed to turn them 
from their purpose. The name Methodist not 
being thought sufficiently reproachful, it was 
substituted by " Holy Club," and various arts 
and plans, not excepting personal violence, were 
resorted to, to dissolve it. 

All this had the effect to dampen the zeal of 
some members of the society, and turn them 
aside from that course of Christian duty upon 
which they had entered. The opposition, encour- 
aged by this success, continued to increase in 
violence, and for a moment the Wesleys seemed 
undecided as to the course they should pursue. 
Again they sought the advice of their excellent 
father. The following is a portion of his answer : 

" This day I received both yours, and this 
evening, in the course of our reading, I thought 
I found an answer that would be more proper than 
any I myself can dictate ; though since it will not 
be easily translated, I send it in the original : 

" Ylo%?i7] fioL xavxVG L S vrcep v/iuv. zje7T?jjpoficu Tr/zjapax?/iaeL 
iTTCpTrepiSSsvofiat T7}X a P a * 

* 2 Corinthians, vii. 4. Great is my glorying of you. I am 
filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful. 



80 WESLEY OFFERING. 

" "What would you be ? Would you be an- 
gels ? J question whether a mortal can arrive to 
a greater degree of perfection than steadily to do 
good, and for that very reason steadily and 
meekly to suffer evil. For my part, on the 
present view of your actions and designs, my 
daily prayers are that God would keep you 
humble ; and then I am sure that if you con- 
tinue to suffer for righteousness' sake, though, it 
be but in a lower degree, the Spirit of God and 
of glory shall in some good measure rest upon 
you. And you cannot but feel such a satisfac- 
tion in your own minds as you would not part 
with for all the world. Be never weary of well- 
doing : never look back, for you know the prize 
and crown are before you ; though I can scarce 
think so meanly of you, as that you should be 
discouraged with the crackling of thorns under a 
pot. . . . He by whom actions and intentions 
are weighed will both accept, esteem and reward 
you. 

"I hear my son John has the honor of being 
esteemed Father of the Holy Club; if it be so I 
am sure I must be the grandfather of it ; and I 
need not say, that I had rather any of my sons 



WESLEY OFFERING. 81 

should be so dignified and distinguished, than to 
have the title of His Holiness." 

Encouraged by the approbation and exhorta- 
tions of their father, and some other men emi- 
nent for judgment and piety, the Wesleys and 
their coadjutors gave themselves with more dili- 
gence than ever to the work they had commenced, 
in visiting the sick, instructing the children of 
the poor, laboring with the prisoners at the castle, 
and in many ways displaying the self-denial and 
benevolence of the gospel of Christ. Many of 
the destitute and suffering were relieved, many 
dying sinners were directed to Christ for salva- 
tion, and many children who otherwise would 
have grown up in ignorance and vice, destitute 
of the first elements of religion, were taught to 
pray, and instructed in the duty of loving and 
serving Grod. A few who commenced with them 
fell off after a while under the severe persecution 
which arose against them, but the majority con- 
tinued, at least as long as the Wesleys were 
with them, 

" Firm as an iron pillar, strong 
And steadfast as a wall of brass." 

Consoled amid the unjust aspersions of their 
6 



82 WESLEY OFFERING. 

enemies, by an inward consciousness of recti- 
tude, and supported by the approbation of God 
and the suffrages of good men, they went steadily 
forward, rejoicing that they were counted worthy 
to suffer for Christ's sake, and animated with the 
spirit which dictated the following lines of Mr. J. 
Wesley. 

" Shall I for fear of feeble man 
The Spirit's course in me restrain 1 
Or undismayed in deed and word, 
Be a true witness of my Lord 1 

Awed by a mortal's frown, shall I 
Conceal the word of God most highl 
How then before thee shall I dare 
To stand, or how thine anger bear 1 

Tea, let men rage, since thou wilt spread 
Thy shadowing wings around my head ; 
Since in all pain thy tender love 
Will still my sure refreshment prove." 

Messrs. John and Charles "Wesley continued 
the guiding minds of this literary and religious 
society during a period of six years. In August 
1732, this brotherhood of young men suffered a 
severe loss in the death of Mr. Morgan, who was 
one of the most zealous and active members of 
the society. He was the son of an Irish gentle- 
man, and evidently a person of fine temper and 



WESLEY OFFERING. 83 

habits. He was especially dear to the Wesleys, 
with whom lie lived on most confidential and in- 
timate terms. After his death Mr. John Wesley 
wrote to the father of Mr. Morgan, and expressed 
the profoundest respect for the memory of his 
son. Another of the brothers honored the memory 
of their deceased friend with a poem, from which 
the following lines may be set down as a speci- 
men, showing the spirit which burned in his 
heart, and prompted him to improve all oppor- 
tunities of bein^r useful. 

o 

" Gladdening the poor where'er his steps he turned; 
Where pined the orphan, or the widow mourned ; 
Where prisoners sighed beneath guilt's horrid stain, 
The worst confinement and the heaviest chain ; 
Where death's sad shade the uninstrncted sight 
Veiled with thick darkness in the land of light. 
Our Saviour thus fulfilled his great design, 
(If human we may liken to divine ) 
Healed each disease that bodies fiail endure, 
And preached the unhoped-for gospel to the poor." 

As he lived, so he died ; with a joyful con- 
ciousness of divine favor, with his eye of faith 
fixed full and strong on heaven, he passes away. 

,: Not only unappalled, but joyful, sees 
The dark : cold passage that must lead to peace ; 
Strong with immortal bloom secure to rise, 
The tears forever banished from his eyes." 



84 WESLEY OFFERING. 

Thus departed this life the first Methodist 
who fell by the javelin of the monster death: 
exemplifying both in life and death the excel- 
lency and power of that faith, and those evan- 
gelical principles for which Methodists have ever 
since been distinguished. May the last one who 
may be visited by the grim messenger, find him- 
self equally well prepared to obey the summons. 

Mr. Wesley's father having died in April, 
1735, and the living he enjoyed at Epworth 
having passed into other hands, he considered 
himself now permanently settled at Oxford, and 
at liberty to pursue the career on which he had 
entered there ; and he was not without hope of 
being extensively useful to the Church by pro- 
moting an elevated piety among the young men 
of the university who were preparing for the 
ministry. 

In coming to this conclusion, however, he had 
forestalled the designs of providence. God had 
other work for him to do ; other conflicts to 
meet and endure. Besides, he was yet to be 
taught the pharisaic character of his religion, 
and led into the true way of salvation by faith 
in Christ. As salvation by faith was one of the 



WESLEY OFFERING. 85 

main truths contended for by Luther in his war 
with Romanism, so it was to be the distinguish- 
ing feature of the reformation under the labors 
of Wesley. But before he could lead others 
into the rest of faith, he must know it himself. 
The reformer must first be reformed. 

To show him the sandy nature of his founda- 
tion, and bring him to the rock higher than him- 
self, Grod led him by a way he had not known. 
There was a pressing call for missionaries to go 
to the new colony of Georgia, in North America, 
to preach the gospel to the Indians. The repu- 
tation already gained by Mr. Wesley for zeal and 
piety, pointed him out as a suitable person for a 
work requiring so much perseverance and self- 
denial. The trustees of the colony applied. 
After some hesitation he consented to go, and he 
was accompanied by his brother Charles, who re- 
ceived ordination with special reference to this 
service. They embarked October 21st, being ac- 
companied by Mr. Oglethorp, the governor of the 
colony, and several other gentlemen. They 
reached their destination on the 6th of February, 
1736, and entered immediately upon their work. 
The Indians for whose benefit the AVesleys had 



86 WESLEY OFFERING. 

gone to Georgia, not being accessible, they com- 
menced their labors amongst the white settlers, 
and found an ample field, though difficult of 
cultivation. How they employed their time, 
may be seen by the following extracts from Mr. 
"Wesley's journal. 

" As soon as I set foot in Georgia, I began 
preaching at five in the morning ; and every 
communicant, that is, every serious person in 
the town, constantly attended throughout the 
year : I mean, came every morning, winter and 
summer, unless in the case of sickness. They 
did so till I left the province The Eng- 
lish prayers lasted from five till half an hour 
past six. The Italian, which I read to a few 
Vaudois, began at nine. The second service of 
the English, including the sermon and the holy 
communion, continued from half an hour past 
ten, till about half an hour past twelve. The 
French service began at one. At two I cate- 
chized the children. About three I began the 
English service. After this was ended, I had 
the happiness of joining with as many as my 
largest room would hold, in reading, prayer, and 
singing praise. And about six the service of 



WESLEY OFFERING. 87 

the Moravians, so-called, began, at which I was 
glad to be present, not as a teacher, but as a 
learner." 

" These extraordinary labors, and the princi- 
ples from which they proceeded, were ill appre- 
ciated by the great body of the colonists, who 
hated this incessant application to religious du- 
ties, and especially the strict ecclesiastical dis- 
cipline which the brothers endeavored to estab- 
lish. Charles, at Frederica, was the innocent 
victim of a foul conspiracy, by means of which 
the Governor was for a time deceived, and in- 
duced to treat his upright cleric.il secretary with 
a harshness and severity which had nearly proved 
fatal to his life. The wicked plot was afterward 
unravelled, and the Governor, with expressions 
of the deepest regret for the course which he had 
pursued, gave to this persecuted man a ring, ac- 
companied by the strongest declarations of his 
confidence and affection, and a request that it 
might be preserved as a perpetual token of his 
love. At the beginning of August Charles left 
Georgia, being intrusted with despatches to the 
trustees in England, and the Governor himself 
left in November following. 



83 WESLEY OFFERING. 

" The situation of John now became increasingly 
painful. The trustees had appointed him min- 
ister of Savannah, but to this appointment he had 
never consented. He had engaged to go to Geor- 
gia only for the purpose of instructing the In- 
dians, and because of the unsettled state of the 
colony, there appeared no probability that he 
could fulfil this, the only object of his mission. 
He therefore began to entertain serious thoughts 
of following his brother to England. In the 
meanwhile a prosecution against him was com- 
menced, for having repelled a lady from the holy 
communion, the particulars of which he has 
given in his printed journal. He attended the 
court six or seven times to answer for himself: 
but finding that his persecutors determined to 
defer the trial and harass him by delay, he gave 
public notice of his intended departure, and openly 
embarked for England m the beginning of De- 
cember, 1737, having served the colony as a 
minister, one year and nearly nine months." 
(Centenary of Methodism.) 



CHAPTEE IV. 



His heart was with Jerusalem ; and strong 
As was a mother's love, and the sweet ties 
Religion makes so beautiful at home, 
He flam? them from him in his eager race, 
And sought the broken people of his God, 
To preach to them of Jesus !— Willis. 

His zeal 
None seconded, as out of season judged, 
Or singular and rash.— Milton. 



The Wesleys are again in England. Having 
passed through scenes, in their mission to Geor- 
gia, unanticipated, and of the most difficult and 
disagreeable character, they are again in their 
native land, amid their friends, and on the very 
s»pot where they were educated, and had ac- 
quired their literary and religious character. 
And though the opposition and persecutions 
which arose against them in a foreign land had 
their origin mainly in an enmity to Bible truth 
and holiness, yet their zeal was not at all 
abated, but rather increased by the conflict they 
had endured. They had failed in the partic- 



90 WESLEY OFFERING. 

ular object for which they went to Georgia, and 
yet their mission was not without its fruit. They 
had been taught some things which they might 
not have learned in England. They had re- 
ceived new light respecting the inward life of 
the Christian, which was of the greatest im- 
portance to their happiness and success as Chris- 
tian ministers, and which subsequently gave 
character to that extensive work of God pro- 
moted by their zeal and labors. 

It has already been intimated, that with all 
their fasting and prayer, their self-denial and 
benevolence, their labors of love to the guilty, 
the poor and the needy, and their scrupulous 
strictness in observing the duties of religion as 
enjoined by the church, nevertheless their re- 
ligion was merely legal and pharisaic ; they 
were seeking justification by the deeds of the 
law, expecting to be saved, not for Christ's sake, 
but for their works' sake. " Going about to es- 
tablish their own righteousness," they were, after 
all, without true religious comfort and joy, be- 
cause they had not " submitted themselves unto 
the righteousness of God." They had some 
painful apprehension of their condition before 



WESLEY OFFERING. 91 

they left England, but their voyage to America 
was, under the direction of Providence, the 
means of fully opening their eyes to their sad 
state, and of teaching them the " way of God 
more perfectly." 

Divine providence so ordered it, that in their 
passage to America they had on board several 
German families of the Moravian faith. Mr. J. 
Wesley's attention was first arrested by observ- 
ing their unruffled calmness amid dangers, and 
their meekness and humility under abuses. k ' If 
they were pushed, struck, or thrown down, they 
rose again and went away; but no complaint 
was found in their mouth. There was now an 
opportunity of trying whether they were de- 
livered from the spirit of fear, as well from that 
of pride, anger, and revenge. In the midst of 
the Psalm wherewith their service began, the 
sea broke over, split the mainsail in pieces, cov- 
ered the ship, and passed in between the decks, 
as if the great deep had already swallowed us 
up. A terrible screaming began among the Eng- 
lish. The Germans calmly sung on. I asked 
one of them afterward, ' Was you not afraid V 
He answered, 'I thank God, no.' 'But were 



92 WESLEY OFFERING. 

not your women and children afraid V ' No ; 
our women and children are not afraid to die.' 

" From them I went to their crying, trembling 
neighbors, and pointed out to them the differ- 
ence, in the hour of trial between him that 
feareth God, and him that feareth him not." 

Mr. Wesley not only observed a vast difference 
between these Moravians and the nominal Chris- 
tians with whom they were surrounded, but he 
was also conscious of being himself destitute of 
that moral and religious power which gave them 
so complete a victory over sin, self, and the fear 
of death. "When danger threatened them, he 
felt disturbed and unresigned. " At night," says 
he, "I was waked by the tossing of the ship 
and roaring of the wind, and plainly showed I 
was unfit, for I was unwilling to die." On ar- 
riving at Savannah, he was introduced to a Mr. 
Spangenberg, one of the German pastors. 

" I soon found," says he, " what spirit he was 
of, and asked his advice with regard to my own 
conduct. He said, ' My brother, I must first ask 
you one or two questions. Have you the wit- 
ness within yourself ? Does the Spirit of God 
bear witness with your spirit, that you are a 



WESLEY OFFERING. 93 

child of Grod V I was surprised, and knew not 
what to answer. He observed it, and asked, 
* Do you know Jesus Christ ?' I paused, and 
said, ' I know he is the Saviour of the world.' 
1 True,' replied he, ' but do you know he has 
saved you V I answered, ' I hope he has died 
to save me.' He only added, ' Do you know 
yourself?' I said, * I do :' but I fear they were 
vain words." 

As Mr. "Wesley observed still farther the con- 
duct of these Moravians, and took frequent op- 
portunities of conversing with them and hearing 
them preach, his conviction continued to increase, 
that he was essentially deficient in his experience 
as a Christian : until on his return voyage it 
seemed to be the one absorbing theme of thought 
and inquiry. In proof of this, we find the fol- 
lowing entry in his journal : 

" Sunday. Jan. 8th. — In the fulness of my 
heart, I wrote the following words : — 

" By the most infallible of proofs, inward feel- 
ing, I am convinced, 

1st. Of unbelief: having no such faith in 
Christ as will prevent my heart from being 



94 WESLEY OFFERING. 

troubled ; which it could not be if I believed in 
God, and rightly believed also in him. 

2d. Of pride throughout my life past : inas- 
much as I thought I had what I find I have not. 

3d. Of gross irresolution : inasmuch as in a 
storm I cry to God every moment ; in a calm, not. 

4th. Of levity and luxuriency of spirit, re- 
curring whenever the pressure is taken off, and 
appearing by my speaking words not tending to 
edify ; but most by my manner of speaking of 
my enemies. Lord, save, or I perish !" 

On the 24th we find him in the same state 
of mind, only it seems to have increased in in- 
tensity, and he breaks out into the following 
mournful strain : 

" I went to America to convert the Indians ; 
but ! who shall convert me ? who, what is he 
that will deliver me from this evil heart of unbe- 
lief? I have a fair summer religion. I can 
talk well ; nay, and believe myself when no 
danger is near ; but let death look me in the 
face, and my spirit is troubled. Nor can I say, 
■ To die is gain.' " 

1 1 have a sin of fear, that when I've spun 
My last thread I shall perish on the shore !' " 



WESLEY OFFERING. 95 

A little after this he remarks again : — 
" It is now two years and almost four morrhs 
since I left my native country, in order to teach 
the Georgian Indians the nature of Christianity. 
But what have I learned myself in the mean 
time ? AYhy (what I the least of all suspected.) 
that I, who went to America to convert others. 
was never myself converted to God. ; ' 

On landing in England, he repaired again to 
Oxford, where his brother Charles lay sick, and 
where he fell in with Peter Buhler, a distin- 
guished German preacher of the Moravian faith. 
This faithful servant of Christ was, under G<<d, 
the means of leading the inquiring mind of Mr. 
"Wesley, to a correct and clear apprehension of 
what justifying faith is, and in the end, indirectly 
at least, to an experimental acquaintance with 
what he had sighed and groaned for so lonsr, — 
that inward peace and joyful assurance of accep- 
tance with God in Christ the beloved, which are 
the blessed fruit of this faith. He says, " I 
found my brother at Oxford, recovering from his 
pleurisy : and with him Peter Bohler ; by whom 
(in the hand of the great God) I was on Sunday 
the fifth clearly convinced of unbelief, of the 



96 WESLEY OFFERING. 

want of that faith whereby alone we are saved." 
"Immediately it struck into my mind, 'Leave 
off preaching. How can you preach to others, 
who have not faith yourself?' I asked Peter 
Bolder whether he thought I should leave it off 
or not. He answered, ' By no means.' I asked, 
' But what can I preach ?' He said, ' Preach faith 
till you have it: and then, because you have it, 
you will preach it.' " 

This excellent advice was adopted and acted 
upon by Mr. Wesley without delay. Accordingly 
the next day he commenced preaching this new 
doctrine, and for about two months continued to 
do so, though conscious that his only acquain- 
tance with it was that of theory. Great was his 
conflict with early prejudices, and habits of 
thought — with unbelief, with the powers of dark- 
ness, and with the displeasure and opposition of 
friends. Sometimes he seemed just ready to 
enter into the rest of faith, and then by some 
powerful and mysterious influence he seemed 
surrounded with darkness, and removed to a 
great distance from the object of his pursuit. 
During most of this time his mind was deeply 
interested in the subject, and most anxiously en- 



WESLEY OFFERING. 97 

gaged for present salvation ; but at times he had 
to contend against a feeling of indifference and 
languor, which distressed him exceedingly. At 
length deliverance came ; and after such a dark 
and comfortless season as he had endured it was 
most welcome and joyful. But we will give it 
in his own words. 

" In the evening (May 24th, 1738) I went 
very unwillingly To a society in Aldersgate-street, 
where one was reading Luther's preface to the 
Epistle to the Romans. About a quarter before 
nine, while he was describing the change which 
God works in the heart Ihrough faith in Christ, 
I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did 
trust in Christ, Christ alone for salvation : and 
an assurance was given me, that he had taken 
away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the 
law of sin and death. I began to pray with all 
my might for those who had in an especial 
manner despiteful ly used me, and persecuted me. 
I then testified openly to all there, what I now 

first felt in my heart After my return 

home, I was much buffeted with temptations : 
but I cried out and they fled away. They re- 
turned again and again. I as often lifted up 



OS WESLEY OFFERING. 

my eyes, and He ' sent me help from his holy 
place.' And herein I found the difference be- 
tween this and my former state chiefly consisted. 
I was striving, yea, fighting with all my might 
under the law, as well as under grace. But 
then I was sometimes, if not often, conquered; 
now, I was always conqueror." 

" Monday 29th. I set out for Dummer with Mr. 
"Wolf, one of the first fruits of Peter Border's min- 
istry in England. I was much strengthened by 
the grace of God in him ; yet was his state so 
far above mine, that I was often tempted to 
doubt whether we had one faith. But without 
much reasoning about it, I held here: though 
his be strong and mine weak, yet that God hath 
given me some degree of faith. I know by its 
fruits. For I have constant peace; not one 
uneasy thought. And I have freedom from sin ; 
not one unholy desire."* 

From this time he never lost confidence in his 
experience, but by habitual prayer and unwea- 
ried diligence in the things of God, he went on 
from " strength to strength," until his faith 
was strong and steadfast, his " peace like a 
* Wesley's Journal. 



WESLEY OFFERING. 99 

river, and his righteousness as the waves of the 
sea." 

" His brother Charles was also made partaker 
of the same grace. They had passed together 
through the briers and thorns, through the per- 
plexities and shadows of the legal wilderness, 
and the hour of their deliverance was not far 
separated. Bolder visited Charles in his sick- 
ness at Oxford, but the ' pharisee within' was 
somewhat offended when the honest German 
shook his head at learning that his hope of 
heaven rested on ' his best endeavors.' After 
his recovery, the reading of Haly burton's life 
produced in him a sense of his want of that faith 
which brings 'peace and joy in the Holy 
Ghost.' Border visited him again in London, 
and he began seriously to consider the doctrine 
which he urged upon him. His convictions of 
his state of danger, as a man unjustified before 
God, and of his need of the faith whereof cometh 
salvation, increased, and he spent his whole 
time in discoursing on these subjects, in prayer, 
and reading the Scriptures. " # 

" I am astonished," says he, " that I should 
* Watson's Wesley. 



100 WESLEY OFFERING. 

ever think this a new doctrine, especially while 
our articles and homilies remain unrepealed, and 
the key of knowledge is not yet taken away." 
On Whitsunday (May 21st) having read several 
passages of Scripture bearing on the subject, and 
after much prayer, " he was enabled to view 
Christ as set forth to be a propitiation for his 
sins, through faith in his blood ; and he re- 
ceived that peace and rest in God which he had 
so earnestly sought. The next day he greatly 
rejoiced in reading the 107th Psalm, so nobly 
descriptive, he observes, of what God had done 
for his soul. He had a very humbling view of 
his own weakness ; but was enabled to contem- 
plate Christ in his power to save to the utter- 
most all those who come unto God by him."* 

In this manner was Mr. Charles Wesley led 
from a legal Christianity, in which his whole 
life was an unsuccessful contest with sin and 
temptation, and his mind rilled often with dis- 
tressing doubts and fears, into the life of faith, 
the joyful assurance of pardoning love, and to a 
full realization of what is so forcibly and beauti- 

* Whitehead's Life. 



WESLEY OFFERING. 101 

fully expressed, and so ardently desired in the 
following lines from his pen : 

" that I might at once go up ; 
No more on this side Jordan stop, 

But now the land possess ; 
This moment end my legal years, 
Sorrows and sins, and doubts and fears, 

A howling wilderness." 

Such was the method adopted by Infinite wis- 
dom to lead these excellent men into that spirit- 
ual state so necessary to the work to which they 
were called. Without this faith and its blessed, 
fruits, with all their learning, diligence, self-de- 
nial, and conscientiousness, they would have 
been totally unfit to promote a revival of pure 
spiritual Christianity, or lead on the sacramental 
hosts of G-od's elect. They might have perse- 
vered in a conflict with the evils of their own 
hearts, and the baptized formality and infidelity 
which pervaded the land, as they actually did 
for several years at Oxford, before they went to 
Georgia; but they would have been without re- 
ligious comfort, and their labors unsuccessful in 
leading souls to Christ, because unconnected 
with moral power — the unction of the Holy One. 



102 WESLEY OFFERING. 

From this time, therefore, we are to date the 
real conversion of the "Wesleys, as well as the 
commencement of that glorious revival of vital 
religion which has saved so many thousands, and 
filled so many lands with the high praises of 
God. 

" The two brothers were now new men. A 
sensible application of the blood of Christ to 
their consciences rendered them cheerful and 
happy, and produced in their hearts an intense 
love for the Saviour. Having obtained by the 
simple exercise of faith in Christ, not only the 
abiding witness of the pardoning and adopting 
mercy of God, but also that purity of heart 
which they had long unsuccessfully endeavored, 
to obtain by works of righteousness and law, 
they were astonished at their former errors, and 
longed to make known the great salvation which 
is thus attainable by all. Before this period, 
they served God because they feared him ; now, 
they loved him from a joyous assurance that he 
had first loved them. They confessed that, up 
to this period, they had been mere servants of 
God ; now they stood in a filial relation to him : 
and because they were sons, God sent forth the 



WESLEY OFFERING. 103 

Spirit of his Son, in their hearts, crying Abba, 
Father. They had labored with all fidelity to 
benefit mankind, because they felt this to be 
their duty ; but now the love of God kindled in 
their breasts a generous, yearning affection for 
the whole human race, and a willingness even 
to lay down their lives, if others might only be 
converted and saved." (CeMenarij of Method- 
ism.) 

Having received such large advantage by his 
intercourse with the pious Moravians, it was very 
natural that Mr. "Wesley should contract a strong 
affection for them, and seek still farther oppor- 
tunities of becoming thoroughly acquainted, with 
their doctrines, spirit and discipline. For this 
purpose he resolved on a voyage to Germany, 
which he accomplished in June, July, and Aa- 
gust. During this period he visited their settle- 
ments, made the acquaintance of their principal 
men, particularly Count Zinzendorf, with whom 
he had many pleasant and profitable interviews. 
He spent some time with the Moravian family 
at Marienb' rn, which consisted of about ninety 
members, "joying and beholding their order, ? 
and was constrained to say, " how pleasant 



104 WESLEY OFFERING. 

a thing it is for brethren to dwell together in 
unity." 

" Here," says he, " I continually met with 
what I sought for, viz., living proofs of the power 
of faith ; persons saved from inward as well as 
outward sin, by ' the love of Grod shed abroad 
in their hearts ;' and from all doubt and fear, 
by the abiding witness ' of the Holy Ghost given 
unto them,' He likewise made a thorough ex- 
amination of their church order and discipline, 
and found much more to admire than condemn, 
From this source he doubtless obtained many 
suggestions which were of great value to him, 
when subsequently, in the order of providence, 
he was called to form rules for the government 
of his societies. 

About the beginning of September, Mr. "Wes- 
ley took leave of his Moravian brethren and re- 
turned to England, greatly pleased and profited 
by his intercourse with them. "I shall easily 
be excused," says he, " by those who either love 
or seek the Lord Jesus in sincerity, for speaking 
so largely of the Moravian Church ; a city which 
ought to be set upon a hill : their light hath 
been too long hid under a bushel, it is high time 



WESLEY OFFERING. 105 

it should at length break forth, and " so shine 
before men, that others also may glorify their 
Father which is in heaven." 

The Wesley s being now baptized with the 
spirit of Christ, as well as settled in the doctrines 
of religion, began the work of saving souls in 
good earnest. They were like giants refreshed 
with new wine. They laid aside the form, only 
so far as it could be employed in promoting the 
spirit and power of religion. Their improved 
view of the peace, joy and holiness of the Chris- 
tian, as attainable by simple faith in Christ, and 
their own experience agreeing therewith, gave 
them a more distinct and vivid impression, of the 
sad, the deplorable state of the Church generally, 
and of the danger of impenitent sinners. They 
lifted up the voice like a trumpet — cried aloud 
and did not spare, they showed the people their 
transgressions, and u the house of Jacob their 
sins." For a while, being recently returned from a 
foreign land, many having a desire to hear them, 
they were invited to preach, in several Churches 
in the metropolis and other parts of the kingdom. 
But as they used extemporaneous prayer, and 
often preached without notes ; and withal used 



106 WESLEY OFFERING. 

great earnestness, and plainness of speech ; call- 
ing the people to immediate repentance and faith 
in Christ; insisting upon a present salvation — 
and especially, as the "common people heard 
them gladly," and flocked to the Churches by 
thousands : many of them being deeply affected 
and anxiously inquiring what they must do to be 
saved — the old dignitaries, and their subordinates 
and dependants, became alarmed — the cry of 
heresy was raised against them, and they were 
excluded first from one and then from another of 
the Churches, until nearly all were closed against 
them. Not being allowed to preach in the 
Churches, what should they do ? Thousands 
were anxious to hear them, and a great and good 
work had evidently commenced under their min- 
istrations. When they obtained a small room to 
preach in, it was crowded to suffocation. Ne- 
cessity was laid upon them to cease preaching, 
or adopt some other expedient for accommodating 
the hungry multitudes with the word of life. 
They remembered that Christ fed five thousand 
upon the plain, making them sit down upon the 
grass — that his sermon upon the Mount, and in- 
deed most of his discourses were delivered in the 



WESLEY OFFERING. 107 

open air. They considered these precedents 
sufficient to justify the practice of field-preach- 
ing, which seemed now to be their only alterna- 
tive. 

Mr. Whitefield was jnst returned from Amer- 
ica, and being in the same condemnation with 
themselves, he encouraged them by his example 
to obey the voice of providence, which evidently 
designed to thrust them out " into the highways 
and hedges." But it was not without a struggle, 
that they overcame their nice views of Church 
order. " I could," says Mr. J. Wesley, " scarce 
reconcile myself to this strange way of preaching 
in the fields, . . . having been all my life so 
tenacious of every point relating to decency and 
order, that I should have thought the saving of 
souls almost a sin, if it had not been done in a 
church." He was enabled, however, to surmount 
even this difficulty, and on Monday, April 2, 1739, 
he submitted to be more vile, and proclaimed in 
the highways the glad tidings of salvation, spe-ak- 
ing from a little eminence in a ground adjoining 
to the city, to about three thousand people. 
This practice, he and his brother Charles, and 
others who labored with them, continued to the 



108 WESLEY OFFERING. 

day of their death, whenever, and wherever cir- 
cumstances seemed to require it. Often a great 
multitude flocked to hear them. Mr. J. Wesley- 
speaks of preaching to twenty thousand at a 
time: "And I cannot say," says he, "I have 
ever seen a more awful sight than when on Rose 
Green, or the top of Hannam Mount, some 
thousands of people were calmly joined together 
in solemn waiting upon God, while 



They stood, and under open air adored 

The God who made both air, earth, heaven and sky. 



And whether they were listening to his "Word 
with attention still as night, or were lifting up 
their voice in praise as the sound of many waters, 
many a time have I been constrained to say in 
my heart, 'How dreadful is this place! This is 
no other than the house of God ! This is the 
gate of heaven.' " (Journal.) 

This mode of procedure, so irregular and dis- 
respectful to church order, in the estimation of 
those in authority, subjected the Wesleys to much 
opposition, abuse and violence. Many of the 
clergy of that day (to their shame be it spoken) 
were not only destitute of religion, but also of 



WESLEY OFFERING. 109 

decency. Sometimes they were active in promo- 
ting disturbance, but more frequently did they 
give their countenance to the violent proceedings 
of the rabble, beholding with silent approbation, 
the persecuting measures of the unprincipled and 
vulgar. As might be expected under such cir- 
cumstances, these excellent and apostolic men 
were often obliged to encounter the mob, some- 
times led on by the parson, but generally by 
some one who had obtained a notoriety in the 
parish for his vulgarity and brutality. The fol- 
lowing account of one of these encounters is rela- 
ted by Mr. J. "Wesley, in his journal : (; Tuesday, 
Oct. 5, 1739. There was a great expectation at 
Bath, of what a noted man was to do to me 
there : and I was much entreated not to preach : 
because no one knew what might happen. By 
this report, I also gained a much larger audience, 
among whom were many of the rich and great. 
I told them plainly, the Scripture had conclu- 
ded them all under sin, — high and low, rich 
and poor, one with another. Many of them 
seemed to be a little surprised, and were sink- 
ing apace into seriousness, when their cham- 
pion appeared, and coming close to me, asked 



110 WESLEY OFFERING. 

by what authority I did these things. I replied, 
'By the authority of Jesus Christ, conveyed to me 
by the (now) Archbishop of Canterbury, vyhen he 
laid his hands upon me and said, ' Take thou 
authority to preach the Grospel.' ' He said, ' This 
is contrary to act of Parliament : this is a con- 
venticle. 5 I answered, ' Sir, the conventicles 
mentioned in that act (as the preamble shows) 
are seditious meetings. But this is not such; 
here is no shadow of sedition : therefore it is not 
contrary to that act.' He replied, 'I say it is ; 
and beside, your preaching frightens people out 
of their wits.' ' Sir, did you ever hear me 
preach?' 'No.' 'How then, can you judge 
of what you never heard ?' ' Sir, by common 
report.' ' Common report is not enough. Give 
me leave, sir, to ask, is not your name Nash ?' 
* My name is Nash.' ' Sir, I dare not judge of 
you by common report ; I think it not enough to 
judge by.' Here he paused awhile, and having 
recovered himself, said, ' I desire to know what 
this people comes here for.' On which one re- 
plied, ' Sir, leave him to me ; let an old woman 
answer him. You, Mr. Nash, take care of your 
body; we take care of our souls; and for the 



WESLEY OFFERING. Ill 

good of our souls we come here.' He replied 
not a word, but walked away." 

Besides this vulgar and brutal opposition 
raised against the "Wesleys in many places, they 
had to meet difficulties of another kind. Their 
doctrine was attacked by those high in author- 
ity, — particularly the doctrine of justification 
by faith. In pamphlets industriously circulated, 
and letters addressed to them personally, they 
were plied with arguments, which the writers 
supposed conclusive, against their heretical no- 
tions of salvation by faith. That human merit 
should be thrown aside enlirely, and men re- 
quired to receive salvation as a free gift through 
Christ, and on no other condition than that of 
faith, seemed to many so monstrous a dogma, 
that it was well worth the while to use special 
pains to prevent its prevalence. Even the pre- 
lates of the Establishment thought ^t not be- 
neath their dignity to raise the cry of alarm. A 
conversation between Mr. J. Wesley and the 
Bishop of Bristol on this point has been pre- 
served. 

Bishop. li YvTiy, sir, our faith itself is a good 
work ; it is a virtuous temper of mind." 



112 WESLEY OFFERING. 

Wesley. "My lord, whatever faith is, our 
Church asserts, we are justified by faith alone. 
But how it can be called a good work, I see not: 
it is the gift of God; and a gift that presupposes 
nothing in us, but sin and misery." 

B. " How, sir ! Then you make God a tyran- 
nical being, if he justifies some without any 
goodness in them preceding, and does not justify 
all. If these are not justified on account of 
some moral goodness in them, why are not those 
justified too?" 

W. " Because, my lord, they resist his Spirit; 
because they will not come to him, that they 
may have life ; because they suffer him not to 
work in them, both to will and to do. They 
cannot be saved, because they will not believe." 

B. " Sir, what do you mean by faith?" 

W. "My lord, by justifying faith, I mean a 
conviction wrought in a man, by the Holy 
Ghost, that Christ hath loved him, and given 
himself for him, and that through Christ his sins 
are forgiven." 

B. " I believe some good men have this, but 
not all. But how do you prove this to be the 
justifying faith taught by our Church VI 



WESLEY OFFERING. 113 

W. " My lord, from her Homily on Salvation, 
where she describes it thus: 'A sure trust and 
confidence which a man hath in God, that, 
through the merits of Christ, his si us are for- 
given, and he reconciled to the favor of God.' " 

B. " Why, sir, this is quite another tiling." 

W. " My lord, I conceive it to be the very 
same." 

B. " Mr. Wesley, I will deal plainly with you 
I once thought you and Mr. Whitefield well- 
meaning men: but I cannot think so now. For 
I have heard more of you ; matters of fact, sir. 
And Mr. Whitefield says in his Journal, ' There 
are promises still to be fulfilled in me.' Sir, tho 
pretending to extraordinary revelations, and gifts 
of the Holy Ghost, is a horrid thing, a very hor- 
rid thing." 

W. " My lord, for what Mr. Whitefield says, 
Mr. Whitefield, and not I, is accountable. I pre- 
tend, to no extraordinary revelations, or gifts of 
the Holy Ghost ; none but what every Christian 
may receive, and ought to expect, and pray for. 
But I do not wonder your lordship has heard, 
facts asserted, which, if true, would prove the 

contrary ; nor do I wonder your lordship, belie v- 
8 



114 WESLEY OFFERING. 

ing them true, should alter the opinion you once 
had of me. A quarter of an hour I spent with 
your lordship before, and about an hour now; 
and perhaps you never conversed one other hour 
with any one who spoke in my favor : but how 
many with those who spoke on the other side ! 
so that your lordship could not but think as you 
do. But pray, my lord, what are those facts 
you have heard ?" 

B. " I hear you administer the sacrament in 
your societies." 

Wi " I never did yet, and believe I never 
shall." 

J5. " I hear too, many people fall into fits in 
your societies, and that you pray over them." 

W. "I do so, my lord, when any show by 
strong cries and tears that their soul is in deep 
anguish ; I frequently pray to Grod, to deliver 
them from it, and our prayer is often heard in 
that hour." 

B. "Very extraordinary indeed! Well, sir, 
since you ask my advice, I will give it to you 
very freely. You have no business here. You 
are not commissioned to preach in this diocese. 
Therefore, I advise you to go hence." 



WESLEY OFFERING. 115 

W. "My lord, my business on earth, is to do 
what good I can. Wherever, therefore, I think 
I can do most good, there most I stay so long as 
I think so. At present, I think I can do most 
good here, therefore, here I stay. 

"As to my preaching here, a dispensation of 
the gospel is committed to me, and woe is me if 
I preach not the gospel, wherever I am, in the 
habitable world. Your lordship knows, being 
ordained a priest, of the commission I then re- 
ceived. I am a priest of the Church universal; 
and being ordained as a Fellow of a College, I 
was not limited to any particular cure, but have 
an indeterminate commission to preach the word 
of G-od, in any part of the Church of England. 
I do not, therefore, conceive, that in preaching 
here by this commission, I break any human 
law. When I am convinced I do, then it will 
be time to ask, ' Shall I obey God or man V 
But if I should be convinced in the meanwhile, 
that I could advance the glory of God, and the 
salvation of souls in any other place more than 
in Bristol ; in that hour, by God's help, I go 
hence, which till then, I may not do." 



CHAPTER V. 



"The man who rules his spirit," saith the voice 
Which cannot err, " is greater than the man 
Who takes a city."— Mrs. Hale. 

See how great a flame aspires, 

Kindled by a sp irk of grace ! 
Jesus 1 love the nations fires, 

Sets the kingdoms on a blaze. — C. Wesley. 



The Wesleys, were now fully committed to 
the cause of Bible truth and holiness. Divine 
providence had led them along step by step, 
through dark and intricate passages, and upon 
the brink of steep precipices, until they had sud- 
denly come forth into pleasant fields, with a 
plain path before them, illumined as with the 
light of a sunbeam. They had finally learned 
by a most happy experience, that " God is light, 
and in him is no darkness at all." Being ex- 
ceedingly joyful themselves, they could not do 
less, in the benevolence of their Christian feel- 
ings, than desire most ardently, that others 
might share the bliss they had proved. Besides 



WESLEY OFFERING. 117 

this, the view they had of the delinquency of the 
Church, which, as an extensive valley filled with 
dry bones, lay spread out before them : as also 
the perishing condition of multitudes, who were 
as "sheep without a shepherd," prompted them 
to activity and zeal, that the former might be 
raised to a life of piety and usefulness, and the 
latter be saved from the perdition of the ungodly. 
For this they labored, 

" To pluck poor souls out of the fire, 
And quench the brands in Jesus' blood." 

They believed, and therefore they spoke. When- 
ever and wherever they could collect a congre- 
gation, or have access to an individual, most 
plainly and frankly, and yet with much affection, 
did they speak the truths of God's holy word. 
Their flaming zeal, fervid eloquence, and pathetic 
and affectionate address, attracted universal at- 
tention : and wherever they went, they were lis- 
tened to by " wondering, weeping, and admiring 
audiences." 

They had now put their hand to the plough, 
and to look back was, for them, entirely out,- of 
the question. There was a time when they might 



118 WESLEY OFFERING. 

have contented themselves with saying, " Lord, 
Lord" — when they might have adjusted them- 
selves nicely to the rules and requirements of a 
politico-ecclesiastical hierarchy, and in due time 
have gratified a worldly ambition with the 
Bishop's mitre, or the honors and emoluments of 
place and power. But with them, this time had 
gone by ; the " Rubicon was passed," and they 
were fairly in the field against the corruptions 
of the world and the marshalled hosts of hell. 
Christ was their Captain, and Holiness their 
motto. To the sinner their feelings were kind 
and merciful, but to sin they gave no quarter. 

Such faithful and earnest appeals to the con- 
gregated multitude, followed by private admoni- 
tions and exhortations, could not be otherwise 
than fruitful. For the gospel is now, as ever, 
when failhfully preached, " the power of God 
unto salvation." Many nominal Christians were 
deeply moved, and sought and obtained the bap- 
tism of the Holy Ghost: while sinners by scores 
and hundreds, made fully aware of their danger, 
inquired in deep anguish of soul, what they 
must " do to be saved." These inquirers for sal- 
vation needed instruction ; and, as a natural 



WESLEY OFFERING. 119 

consequence, they would seek it of those who 
had been instrumental in their awakening. This 
they did ; but as the number of such seekers 
increased greatly, it became necessary to have 
special meetings appointed for their benefit, and 
by consequence, times and places for holding 
such meetings. And to render such meetings 
the more useful, as well as to prevent abuses and 
confusion, it was found important to adopt rules, 
which, while they served as a guide, or exposi- 
tion of religious duty, also bound them each to 
the other, as fellow-helpers in the way to heaven. 
In this way, without any previous design, but 
by following the openings of providence, and 
seeking to provide, as they were in duty bound, 
for the spiritual wants of those awakened and 
saved by their preaching, were the Wesleys led 
to the formation of those " united societies" which 
subsequently assumed the form of regular church- 
es, and have ever since continued to spread and 
multiply in Great Britain, the United States of 
America, and other portions of the Christian 
world. 

Previous to this time, there had been three 
societies formed, with which the Wesleys had 



120 WESLEY OFFERING. 

been directly or indirectly connected ; one at 
Oxford, of which we have already spoken, form- 
ed in 1729; another at Savannah, in Georgia, 
which, during his residence in the colony, met 
at the house of Mr. J. Wesley ; and still another, 
which was formed May, 1738, at London, and 
acted principally under the advice and direction 
of Peter Bohler. But these societies were either 
dissolved or passed into other hands, and un^ler 
other influences, and formed no part of those 
organized bodies whose members were subse- 
quently known as Methodists. 

The first permanent society of those awakened 
and saved by Wesleyan instrumentality, com- 
menced in London in 1739, and the circumstan- 
ces attending its formation, are thus described 
by Mr. J. Wesley : — 

u In the latter end of the year 1739, eight or 
ten persons came to me in London, who appear- 
ed to be deeply convinced of sin, and earnestly 
groaning for redemption. They desired (as did 
one or two more the next day) that I would 
spend some time with them in prayer, and advise 
them how to flee from the wrath to come, which 
they saw continually hanging over their heads. 



WESLEY OFFERING. 121 

That we might have more time for this great 
work, I appointed a day when they might all 
come together, which, from thenceforward, they 
did every week, namely, on Thursday, in the 
evening. This was the rise of the united society, 
first in London, and then in other places. Such 
a society is no other than a company of men, 
having the form and seeking the power of godli- 
ness, united in order to pray together, to receive 
the word of exhortation, and to watch over one 
another in love, that they may help each other 
to work out their salvation/' 

The society thus established increased with 
astonishing rapidity. " Twelve came the first 
Thursday night; forty the next; soon after a 
hundred." 

Soon, other societies of a similar nature were 
formed in other places ; and as they increased 
in magnitude as well as number, Mr. "Wesley 
divided the larger ones into smaller companies, 
denominated classes. One of the most devoted 
and gifted, was placed over the rest in the char- 
acter of a leader. It was his duty to promote 
their growth in grace, by meeting them once a 
week in class, and inquiring of them how their 



122 WESLEY OFFERING. 

souls prospered, praying with them, and giving 
them such instruction and encouragement as 
their religious state and circumstances seemed 
to him to require. If it was not practicable to 
meet them together thus often, he was to supply 
the deficiency by visiting them at their homes, 
inquiring for the reason of their absence, and 
assisting them to remove or overcome all obsta- 
cles to their religious advancement. In case 
any were delinquent, or irregular in their walk, 
and would not be reproved, it was the duty of 
the leader to report them to the preacher having 
the charge, that they might be dealt with in such 
manner as the honor and prosperity of the society 
might demand. 

" It can scarcely be conceived," says Mr. Wes- 
ley, " what advantages have been reaped from 
this little prudential regulation. Many now 
happily experience that Christian fellowship, of 
which they had not so much as an idea before. 
They began to bear one another's burdens, and 
naturally to care for each other. As they had 
daily a more intimate acquaintance with, so they 
had a more endeared affection for, each other. 
And, c speaking the truth in love,' they grew up 



"WESLEY OFFERING. 123 

into Him in all things, who is the head, even 
Christ ; from whom the whole body, fitly framed 
together, and compacted by that which every 
joint supplieth, according to the effectual working 
in the measure of every part, increased unto the 
edifying of itself in love." 

In this way the first effectual step was taken 
towards maintaining the ground gained in the 
spiritual warfare in which they were now en- 
gaged, and preserving the fruit produced by the 
divine blessing, from the seed they had so faith- 
fully sown. The sagacious mind of Wesley saw 
at once, that nothing could be done in the work 
of rousing the dormant energies of the Church 
and spreading scriptural holiness on a large scale, 
without planting societies, and making them 
centres of moral and religious influence and 
power. Had the Churches already established 
received this work as from Grod, and as laborers, 
entered into it, and assisted, as they might and 
should have done, in conducting it to its glorious 
issues, the necessity of forming separate societies 
and assemblies'would not have existed. But, so 
far from this, they became the bitterest persecu- 
tors of the work, and those engaged in it; not 



124 WESLEY OFFERING. 

even manifesting the usual sympathy and charity 
for those whose only fault was, that they had 
heen reformed and converted to God, under the 
labors of the Wesleys. The alternatives pre- 
sented to the mind of Wesley, were, to provide 
as best he could for the wants of those over 
whom " the Holy Grhost had made him overseer." 
or recede, and quit the field ingloriously. He 
did not, and could not, hesitate as to the course 
he should pursue. He steadily and firmly follow- 
ed the openings of Providence. The glorious result 
abundantly justifies the plan adopted and pursued. 
" It was by this means," (the formation of 
societies.) says Dr. Clarke, " that we have been 
enabled to establish permanent and holy Churches 
over the world. Mr. Wesley saw the necessity 
of this from the beginning. Mr. Whitefield, when 
lie separated from Mr. Wesley, did not follow it. 
What was the consequence ? The fruit of Mr. 
Whitefield's labors died with himself. Mr. Wes- 
ley's fruit remains, grows, increases, and multi- 
plies exceedingly. Did Mr. Whitefiedd see his 
error? He did; but not till it was too late. 
His people, long unused to it, would not come 
under discipline. Have I authority to say so ? 



WESLEY OFFERING. 125 

I have ; and you shall have it. Forty years ago 
I travelled in the Bradford, Wilts, circuit, with 
Mr. John Pool. Himself told me the following 
anocdote : — Mr. Pool was weli known to Mr. 
Whitefitild, and having met him one day, he ac- 
costed him in the following manner : — 

Whitefield. < Well, John, art thou still a Wes- 
leyan ?' 

Pool. ' Yes, sir ; and I thank God that I have 
the privilege of being in connection with him, 
and one of his preachers.' 

Whitefield. ' John, thou art in thy right place; 
my brother Wesley acted wisely. The souls 
that were awakened under his ministry he joined 
in class, and thus preserved the fruits of his 
labor. This I neglected, and my people are a 
rope of sand.' 

" And what now remains of this great man's 
labors ? Multitudes were converted under his 
ministry, and are gone to God, but there is no 
spiritual succession." 

This glorious revival of Bible truth and of ho- 
liness, now spread and increased greatly. So- 
cieties were formed, not only in London and 
Bristol, but also in many adjacent places, and 



126 WESLEY OFFERING. 

some at considerable distance from the metropolis. 
Though the laborers were few, yet, believing 
themselves laboring under the divine sanction, 
they were zealous and indefatigable, scarcely 
giving themselves any rest day or night. The 
effects of their preaching were seen in two ways ; 
in the conversion of hundreds of souls, and in 
rousing the dead, or " sleeping watchmen of Is- 
rael : not indeed to inquire after the truth, and 
amend their ways, but to crush these irregular 
proceedings, that they might quietly sleep again. 
These opponents, however, had more zeal against 
Methodism than knowledge of it. They attacked 
it with nothing but idle stories, misrepresentations 
of facts, and gross falsehoods. They retailed 
these from the pulpits, and published them from 
the press, with little regard to moderation, char- 
ity, or even decency. This brought more dis- 
grace upon themselves than upon the Methodists, 
who, finding they were assailed only with such 
kind of weapons, conceived a higher opinion of 
the cause in which they were engaged, and prof- 
ited by the attack. A pious and moderate cler- 
gyman, perceiving that such attacks could do no 
good to their cause, published a few rules to di- 



WESLEY OFFERING. 127 

rect the assailants in their future attempts to 
stop the increasing innovations." (Whitehead.) 
From these " rules" we extract the following, 
which will show, indirectly at least, what kind 
of allegations were urged against the Wesleys 
and their adherents : 

1. '• Not to blame persons for doing that now, 
which Scripture records holy men of old to have 
practised. 

2. " Not to censure men in holy orders for 
teaching the same doctrines which are taught in 
the Scriptures, and by our Church. 

3. " Not to censure any professed members of 
our Church, who live good lives, for resorting to 
religious assemblies in private houses, to per- 
form in society acts of divine worship ; when 
the same seems to have been practised by the 
primitive Christians. 

6. " Not to drive any away from our Church by 
opprobriously calling them dissenters, or treating 
them as such, so long as they keep to her com- 
munion. 

7. " Not lightly to take up with silly stories that 
may be propagated to the discredit of persons of 
a general good character." 



128 WESLEY OFFERING. 

"Mr. Wesley often wished," (says his biogra- 
pher) ",that they, who cither preached or wrote 
against him, would seriously attend to these rules ; 
but these rules were too candid and liberal for the 
common herd of opposers. Some attacked him 
with arguments wretchedly misapplied ; others 
with ridicule, as the more easy way. Mr. Wes- 
ley knew in whom he had believed, and in the 
midst of abuse poured out upon him by friends 
and enemies, went on his way as if he heard not." 

The rapid, the unprecedented increase of con- 
verts (apostolic times excepted) under the la- 
bors of these faithful servants of Christ, is suf- 
ficiently proved by the fact, that within four 
years from the date of the first society, about two 
thousand persons were united with them in Chris- 
tian fellowship, exclusive of all those who had 
been more or less benefited by their ministry, 
but had not united with their societies, or did 
not long remain subject to their control. For the 
better government of this constantly increasing 
multitude, and that no one might be continued 
among them who was not of them, they pub- 
lished the following " general rules." After 
stating the design of the societies, they say : 



WESLEST OFFERING. 129 

" There is one only condition previously re- 
quired in those who desire admission into these 
societies, a desire to ' flee from the wrath to 
come,' to be saved from their sins. But when- 
ever this is really fixed in the soul, it will be 
shown by its fruits. It is therefore expected of 
all who continue therein, that they should con- 
tinue to evidence their desire of salvation : 

1. " By doing no harm, by avoiding evil in 
every kind ; especially that which is most gene- 
rally practised ; such as, 

" The taking the name of (rod in vain ; the 
profaning the day of the Lord, either by doing 
ordinary work thereon, or by buying or selling; 
drunkenness; buying or selling spirituous li- 
quors, or drinking them, except in cases of ex- 
treme necessity; fighting, quarreling, brawling: 
brother going to law with brother ; returning 
evil for evil, or railing for railing; the using 
many words in buying or selling ; the buying or 
selling uncustomed goods ; the giving or taking 
things on usury, i. e. unlawful interest ; un- 
charitable or unprofitable conversation, particu- 
larly speaking evil of magistrates or ministers ; 
doing to others as we would not they should 



130 WESLEY OFFERING. 

do unto us ; doing what we know is not for the 
glory of Grod ; as, 

" The putting on of gold or costly apparel; the 
taking of such diversions as cannot be used in 
the name of the Lord Jesus ; the singing those 
songs, or reading those books, which do not tend 
to the knowledge or love of Grod ; softness, or 
needless self-indulgence ; laying up treasure upon 
earth ; borrowing without a probability of paying, 
or taking up goods without a probability of 
paying for them. 

"It is expected of all who continue in these 
societies, that they should continue to evidence 
their desire of salvation : 

2. " By doing good, by being in every kind 
merciful after their power ; as they have opportu- 
nity, doing good of every possible sort, as far as 
is possible to all men : to their bodies, of the abil- 
ity which God giveth, by giving food to the hun- 
gry, by clothing the naked, by visiting, or help- 
ing those that are sick or in prison. To their 
souls, by instructing, reproving, or exhorting all 
they have intercourse with ; trampling under foot 
that enthusiastic ' doctrine of devils,' that ' we 
are not to do good unless our hearts be free to it.' 



WESLEY OFFERING. 131 

" By doing good especially to them who are 
of the household of faith, or groaning so to be ; 
employing them preferably to others ; buying 
one of another ; helping each other in blessings ; 
and so much the more, because the world will 
love its own, and them only. 

" By all possible diligence and frugality, that 
the Grospel be not blamed ; by running with pa- 
tience the race that is set before them, denying 
themselves and taking up the cross daily ; sub- 
mitting to bear the reproach of Christ, to be the 
filth and off-scouring of the world ; and looking 
that men should say all manner of evil of them 
falsely for the Lord ? s sake. 

"It is expected of all who desire to continue in 
these societies, that they should continue to evi- 
dence their desire of salvation : 

li By attending upon all the ordinances of God : 
Such are, the public worship of Grod ; the ministry 
of the word, either read or expounded ; the supper 
of the Lord ; family and private prayer ; search- 
ing the Scriptures, and fasting or abstinence. 

" These are the general rules of our societies : 
all which we are taught of Grod to observe in his 
written word, the only rule, and the sufficient 



132 WESLEY OFFERING. 

rule, both of our faith and practice. And all 
these we know. His Spirit writes on every truly 
awakened heart. If there be any among us who 
observe them not, who habitually break any of 
them, let it be made known unto them who 
watch over that soul, as they that must give an 
account. We will admonish him of the error of 
his ways ; we will bear with him for a season. 
But if he repent not, he hath no more place 
among us. We have delivered our soul. 

John Wesley. 
" May 1, 1743. Charles Wesley." 

The influence of that Grospel, which is the 
" power of Grod unto salvation, to every one that 
believeth," had now become so extensive, that it 
was no longer possible for the Wesleys to take 
the personal oversight of the numerous sooieties 
formed, and forming in different parts of the 
kingdom. The most they could do was to visit 
them occasionally; preach to them ; give them 
their godly admonitions and advice ; and leave 
them in the care of their leaders. This arrange- 
ment did not meet the demands of the case. 
Subtle and influential enemies took occasion, in 



WESLEY OFFERING. 133 

their absence, to sow tares among the wheat ; 
and often, when these faithful pastors returned 
to visit their flocks, they found them scattered 
and alienated, or contending among themselves 
concerning some doctrinal speculation at the ex- 
pense of Christian charity. But that same wise, 
gracious, and ever watchful Providence, which 
at the first led them from a merely formal and 
pharisaic religion into more consistent views of 
the plan of salvation, and into the higher life of 
Christian experience : and, subsequently, when 
the churches were closed against them, justified 
and sustained them in the practice of field- 
preaching; and still later, that the fruits of 
their labors might not be lost, suggested the idea, 
and prepared the way for the formation of socie- 
ties ; also directed them in the adoption of meas- 
ures well suited to the present necessities of the 
work of God, so gloriously progressing in their 
hands. By following out these indications of 
providence, they were led, without any previous 
design on their part, to employ lay preachers, or 
unovdained men, as helpers in the work of the 
ministry. 

The first thus employed was Thomas Maxwell, 



134 WESLEY OFFERING. 

a young man who had been converted under Mr. 
John Wesley's preaching, at Bristol, May, 1739. 
He became deeply pious : and prayed, exhorted, 
and expounded the Scriptures, with uncommon 
power. Lady Huntington, who knew him well, 
at this period of his life, speaks of him in terms 
of the highest admiration. He was appointed to 
assist in the society in London, and there he be- 
gan to preach. Complaint of this was forwarded 
to Mr. Wesley, who hastened to London with all 
speed, to stop the alleged irregularity. His 
mother then lived in his house adjoining the 
Foundry. On his arrival, she perceived that his 
countenance was expressive of dissatisfaction, 
and inquired the cause. " Thomas Maxwell," 
said he, abruptly, " has turned preacher, I find." 
She looked at him attentively, and replied, 
" John, you know what my sentiments have 
been. You cannot suspect me of favoring readi- 
ly, anything of this kind. But take care what 
you do with respect to that young man : for he 
is as surely called of (rod to preach as you are. 
Examine what have been the fruits of his preach- 
ing, and hear him also, yourself." He took the 
advice, and (notwithstanding his former preju- 



WESLEY OFFERING. 135 

dices) submitted to what he believed to be the 
order of Grod." {Jackson' 's Centenary.) 

In giving an account of the origin of this kind 
of preaching under his sanction, Mr. J. "Wesley 
says: — "After a time, a young man, named 
Thomas Maxwell, came and desired to help me 
as a son in the gospel. Soon after, came a second, 
Thomas Richards ; and then a third, Thomas 
Westell. These severally desired to serve me as 
sons, and to labor when and where I should 
direct." {Journal.) There is a class of Chris- 
tians who think the preaching of the gospel a sin, 
unless it be done according to certain rules of 
their own making, and which they are pleased to 
denominate canonical. Had the propriety of 
Mr. Wesley's course been submitted to their 
judgment at the time of which we are speak- 
ing, of course, a very different policy would have 
been recommended. Not a sermon would have 
been preached, except in a church ; not a society 
would have been formed, and no one allowed to 
call sinners to repentance, until canonically or- 
dained. The consequence would have been, 
though individual conversions might have oc- 
curred, no general revival would have taken place. 



136 WESLEY OFFERING. 

Happy for the Christian world that he was 
governed by another spirit, and adopted more 
liberal counsels. The fruits are so evident and 
glorious, that it is not noiv necessary to defend 
the Wesleys in the instances in which they de- 
parted from established usage ; but we may put 
down in his own language, the admirable defence 
he made at the time, against the attacks of 
church bigotry, and aristocracy. 

" It pleased God," says he, " by two or three 
ministers of the Church of England, to call 
many sinners to repentance, who, in several parts, 
were undeniably turned from a course of sin, to 
a course of holiness." The ministers of the places 
where this was done, ought to have received 
those ministers with open arms; and to have 
taken those persons who had just begun to serve 
God, into their particular care ; watching over 
them in tender love, lest they should fall back 
into the snare of the Devil. 

" Instead of this, the greater part spoke of 
those ministers, as if the devil, not God, had 
sent them. Some repelled them from the Lord's 
table ; others stirred up the people against them, 
representing them even in their public discourses, 



WESLEY OFFERING. 137 

as fellows not fit to live ; papists, heretics, trai- 
tors; conspirators against their king and country. 

"And how did they watch over the sinners 
lately reformed ? Even as a leopard watcheth 
over his prey. They drove some of them from 
the Lord's table ; to which till now, they had no 
desire to approach. They preached all manner 
of evil concerning them, openly cursing them in 
the name of the Lord. They turned many out 
of their work, persuaded others to do so too, and 
harassed them in all manner of ways. 

" The event was, that some were wearied out, 
and so turned back to their vomit again ; and 
then these good pastors gloried over them, and 
endeavored to shake others by their example. 

" When the ministers by whom God had helped 
them before, came again to those places, great 
part of their work was to begin again, if it could 
be begun again : but the relapsers were often so 
hardened in sin that no impression could be made 
upon them. 

" What could they do in a case of so extreme 
necessity, when so many souls lay at stake ? 

" No clergyman would assist at all. The expe- 
dient that remained was, to find some one among 



138 WESLEY OFFERING. 

themselves who was upright of heart, and of 
sound judgment in the things of G-od ; and to 
desire him to meet the rest as often as he could, 
in order to confirm them, as he was able, in the 
ways of G-od, either by reading to them, or by 
prayer, or by exhortation." 

From this statement, which is confirmed as 
true by all the authentic records within our 
reach, it appears that the reformation commenced 
under the Wesleys, could no more have been 
carried on to the glorious successes which follow- 
ed, had they been governed by the dictation of 
the English clergy, than that under Luther 
could have reached the point it did in rescuing 
the Church from Romish tyranny and supersti- 
tion, had that great reformer allowed himself to 
be governed by the authority of the Pope. There 
was, in both cases, an ecclesiastical persecution 
raised against the reformation, and the reformers ; 
in both cases, the success of the reformation de- 
pended upon disregarding the stringent regula- 
tions of Bishops and Councils : the reformers 
braved the storm, and came from the contest 
unscathed. Their achievements have effected 
the most happy changes and improvements in 



WESLEY OFFERING. 139 

the political and religious world ; and though 
the course they adopted, when judged of by the 
nice rules of church order which then obtained, 
must be pronounced irregular, yet it was justified 
by the exigencies of the times : and so long as 
men are governed by sound sense and true piety, 
it will meet the approbation of the Christian world. 

To the formation of societies, and the employ- 
ment of pious and talented men to supply them 
with pastoral labor, one thing more seemed ne« 
cessary to complete the arrangements, and ren- 
der the work of Grod permanent, viz., convenient 
places for preaching, and holding other meetings 
of the societies. "With very few exceptions, the 
Methodists had no access to the churches ; 
and though they numbered their thousands in 
society, besides the multitudes who waited on 
their ministry, yet their meetings were held in 
the open air, or in private rooms, until providence 
opened the way to better accommodations. 

" The first chapel that the "Wesley s themselves 
erected w r as in Bristol ; but the first that they 
opened for divine worship was in London. The 
history of this place is not a little curious. The 
chapel was a large, unsightly brick building, 



140 WESLEY OFFERING. 

near the present site of Finsbury Square, and 
was known by the name of the Foundry. It 
had been in the occupation of the Government, 
and used for the purpose of casting brass cannon. 
Its nearness to London rendered it inconvenient, 
in consequence of the crowds of people that as- 
sembled to witness the process ; and a serious 
accident having occurred, by which some lives 
were lost, and several persons greatly injured, the 
business was transferred to Woolwich ; and the 
premises were leased to Mr. Wesley, who fitted 
up the principal building as a place of worship. 
This chapel was a sort of cathedral in Metho- 
dism, until 1777, when it was superseded by the 
very commodious and elegant chapel in the City 
Road, which, for many years, was not unfre- 
quently called the New Foundry. 

"Behind the old Foundry was Mr. Wesley's dwell- 
ing-house, the entrance to which was through the 
gallery of the chapel. Here Mr. Wesley resided 
when in London, and here his venerated mother 
died in the Lord. At one end of the Foundry was 
a building of one story, which was occupied as a 
day-school ; in another spacious room was a 
large, electrifying machine, which was used on 



WESLEY OFFERING. 141 

two days every week, in the case of the afflicted 
people who resorted thither for relief; and in 
another, the publications of the two brothers, in 
prose and verse, were kept on sale. At the top 
of the Foundry was a small bell, which was rung 
as the signal of preaching at five o'clock in the 
morning, and of other religious services. Mr. 
"Wesley had often preached his morning sermon, 
performed his early devotions with his people, 
and was on his way to distant places in the 
country, before other people had shaken off their 
slumbers, and were prepared to apply themselves 
to the duties of life. 

" The opening of the Foundry in London, and 
of the 'Room' in Bristol, was soon followed by 
the Orphan-house in Newcastle, and then by 
chapels of various dimensions in Leeds, Man- 
chester, Liverpool, York, Hull, Birmingham, and 
other populous towns. In these buildings of 
primitive Methodism, elegance of architecture 
was little studied. They were plain and sub- 
stantial, intended for use, and not for ornament. 
The most remarkable circumstance connected 
with them, was their amplitude of accommoda- 
tion for the poor The preaching in these 



142 WESLEY OFFERING. 

sanctuaries was plain, pointed, searching, and pow- 
erful. The singing was lively ; the body of the 
people generally joined in it : and not a few per- 
sons, in different places, were drawn by its 
sweetness and power to an attendance upon the 
ministry of the word. The tunes were mostly 
simple melodies, composed by the old masters, 
and selected by Mr. Wesley, who published vari- 
ous books of sacred music ; and they were sung, 
if not always according to the rules of art, yet 
with the spirit and with the understanding. The 
men and women sat apart in the congregation ; 
a practice which Mr. Wesley derived from the 
Moravians, but which, even in his time, was 
found to be inconvenient. It was ultimately 
abandoned. In these assemblies, which were 
often annoyed by mischievous and riotous people, 
multitudes of ungodly persons were awakened, 
converted, regenerated, sanctified, and built up 
in faith and love." — (Jacksonh Centenary.) 



CHAPTER VI. 



The keen spirit 
Seizes the prompt occasion, makes the thought 
Start into instant action, and at once 
Plans and performs, resolves and executes ! — Hannah More. 

More and more it spreads and grows, 

Ever mighty to prevail ! 
Sin's strong holds it now o'erthrows, 
Shakes the trembling gates of hell. — C. Wesley. 



Having brought this sketch of the lives and 
labors of the Wesleys, and of the progress of that 
remarkable work of Grod, which under his provi- 
dence, owed its existence chiefly to their agency, 
to a point where it assumes a regular and per- 
manent form, we shall, in what remains, give 
less attention to the detail of circumstances. In 
the progress of events, as connected with this 
great revival, we have seen these servants of 
Grod excluded from the churches, preaching in 
the fields, forming societies, employing lay 
preachers to supply the place of regular pastors, 
in watching over the souls God had given them. 



144 WESLEY OFFERING. 

"We have seen the people converted by hundreds, 
societies multiplied by scores, and commodious 
places of worship provided, for the permanent 
ministry of the word. 

To supply these societies with stated preach- 
ing, Mr. Wesley formed them into what was de- 
nominated circuits. Each circuit embraced as 
many places of worship as two, or three preach- 
ers could visit within a given time, they follow- 
ing each other at specified periods in making 
the tour of the circuits. As they were employed 
by Mr. Wesley, they were appointed to their work 
by his authority, and labored only when and 
where he chose to direct. Those who preached 
in connection with him, agreed unqualifiedly,, to 
submit to his direction, and spend their time and 
efforts, as he should think most for the glory of 
God. This arrangement was necessary to give 
unity and efficiency to their operations, and- to 
prevent confusion, and a conflict of interests. 
In this manner, commenced that plan of minis- 
terial labor, denominated the itinerancy, which 
has been maintained by the whole Methodist 
Connection in Europe and America, from that 
day to this, and which has been found so admi- 



WESLEY OFFERING. 145 

rably adapted to extend the gospel among the 
poor. 

While Mr. "Wesley required his preachers to 
come under this system, and be guided by his 
judgment as to the maimer in which they spent 
their time and bestowed their labor, he in con- 
nection with his brother Charles, took the whole 
field as his parish. He was " individuum va- 
gum" He travelled from place to place, visit- 
ing the societies, in their respective localities ; 
going, not only "where he was wanted, but 
where he was wanted most." He became as 
nearly omnipresent as is possible for a human be- 
ing. As the skilful and vigilant general keeps 
his eye upon every department of his army du- 
ring an engagement, and is ready to strengthen 
the weak points by bringing fresh troops to their 
assistance ; and by his presence and voice in- 
spires them with courage to endure the fierce- 
ness of the battle ; so he passed from point to 
point throughout the whole field of spiritual toil. 
His voice was heard in the thickest of the fight ; 
he "reproved, rebuked, and exhorted with all 
long-suffering and doctrine," and perpetually 

held himself in readiness for any emergency. 
10 



146 WESLEY OFFERING. 

Now, he was seen in the societies, mingling with 
the poor people, reconciling their differences, in- 
structing their ignorance, and strengthening their 
purposes to reform and lead holy and useful 
lives ; now, in the midst of thousands of every 
variety of character, imitating his divine Master 
in preaching a pure and free gospel, with a stone 
for his pulpit, and the heavens for his sounding- 
board ; and anon stopping to answer the specious 
ohjections of some caviller, or to measure swords 
with some sturdy skeptic, or theological cham- 
pion, whose ire had been roused by the simpli- 
city and power with which he enforced those 
heart-searching and essential truths, which in 
that corrupt and time-serving age had become 
almost obsolete. From four o'clock in the morn- 
ing, until nine at night, his mind was ever ac- 
tive ; and excepting the time spent in travelling, 
his tongue or pen was always employed in com- 
municating truth concerning the great salvation. 
And his industry and perseverance were fully 
equalled by his success. 

In a system like that established by the Wes- 
leys, everything depended upon mutual confi- 
dence and unity. There must be unanimity of 



WESLEY OFFERING. 147 

sentiment as well as of action. There must be 
no collision of parts. All the members must be 
so adjusted to each other that the system will 
work smoothly, or it cannot work successfully. 
Mr. Wesley must know his preachers, and his 
preachers must know him ; and there must be 
harmony of action arising from union of views, 
and mutual confidence. 

To secure and maintain this desirable state of 
things, it was necessary that the "Wesleys and 
their preachers, should have frequent and familiar 
intercourse with each other. In order to this 
they established those periodical meetings called 
conferences. These conferences were at first, 
nothing more than a familiar interchange of 
thought respecting doctrines and discipline, with 
the view of preserving the harmony and efficiency 
of the body. As the work enlarged and the 
number of preachers increased, the conferences 
assumed more of a business character, and with 
the increase of methodistic publications it be- 
came less necessary to use the time of these 
meetings in the discussion of theological subjects. 
The first conference commenced in London, June 
25th, 1744, and continued five days ; and in the 



148 WESLEY OFFERING. 

language of Wesley himself, the time was spent 
in " seriously considering, by what means we 
might the most effectually save our own souls, 
and them that heard us. And the result of our 
consultations we set down, to be the rule of our 
future practice.'' 1 The Conference of English 
Methodist preachers, has been held annually ever 
since ; and Mr. Wesley presided in forty-seven 
such meetings, before he died. The subjects of 
their deliberations were proposed in the form of 
questions, which were amply discussed ; and the 
questions with the answers agreed upon were 
written down, and afterwards printed, under the 
title of i ' Minutes of several conversations between 
the Reverend Mr. Wesley and others ;" com- 
monly called " Minutes of Conference." As the 
work of reformation was constantly increasing 
in extension and influence, new societies being 
formed, and the demands for ministerial labor 
multiplying ; and as there were numerous ap- 
plications to enter the connection as travelling 
preachers, it became necessary to consider the 
subject of a call to the ministry, and fix upon the 
standard of qualification for admission to that 
work. The views entertained on this subject, 



WESLEY OFFERING. 149 

and which governed, in deciding who should be 
employed, are put down in the following ques- 
tions and answers. 

" Q. How shall we try those who think they 
are moved by the Holy Ghost, and called of God 
to preach ? 

" A. Inquire, 1st. Do they know God as a par- 
doning God ? Have they the love of God abid- 
ing in them ? Do they desire and seek nothing 
but God ? And are they holy in all manner of 
conversation ? 

" 2d. Have they the gifts (as well as grace) for 
the work ? Have they a clear, sound under- 
standing ? Have they a right judgment in the 
things of God ? Have they a just conception of 
salvation by faith ? And has God given them 
any degree of utterance ? Do they speak justly, 
readily, clearly ? 

" 3. Have they fruit ? Are any truly convinced 
of sin, and converted to God, by their preaching ? 

" As long as these three marks concur in any, 
we believe he is called of God to preach." 

Such were the men employed as helpers in 
the work of the ministry. They were men to be 
trusted ; men who had not taken up the business 



150 WESLEY OFFERING. 

of preaching for a morsel of bread, or to gain 
worldly distinction of any kind. The " love of 
Christ constrained" them, and they entered upon 
their work not knowing what was reserved for 
them in the future of this world, save that.their 
observation and experience had taught them not 
to be surprised should they meet bitter persecu- 
tion, imprisonment, and death. As a general 
thing, they were deficient in the learning of the 
schools, but they were familiar with the word of 
God, and some of them attained to great emi- 
nence in biblical literature. 

A band of such men, inspired with the love of 
Christ, and held to each other by the strongest 
ties, and most powerful motives that can act 
upon the human mind, under the leadership of 
those distinguished servants of Christ, John and 
Charles "Wesley, could not fail to leave their 
mark wherever they came. They explored every 
part of the kingdom ; thousands of the most 
hardened were converted from the multitudes 
who flocked to hear them, 



" While those who came to mock, 
Remained to pray." 



WESLEY OFFERING. 151 

Methodism was now fairly wrought into a sys- 
tem, every part of which seems to have been 
suggested providentially, by the wants of the so- 
cieties, to aid the work of God, and preserve the 
fruits of evangelical preaching. At several of 
the subsequent conferences, the ground they had 
passed over was reviewed, their doctrines and 
discipline subjected to fresh scrutiny, defects 
were remedied, excrescences and incongruities 
were removed : until, at the conference of 1770, 
the whole plan, embracing faith, Church order, 
and ecclesiastical polity, was settled and fixed, 
and has remained substantially the same from 
that to the present period. 

The work of revival was now in rapid progress. 
It had acquired such momentum, that it pressed 
through all difficulties, and bid defiance to all 
attempts made to arrest it. The openly express- 
ed displeasure of prelates — the more undignified 
opposition of the inferior clergy — the scoffs and 
sarcasms of infidels — and the brutal violence of 
mobs, encouraged by those in authority, were 
alike powerless before the triumphs of evangeli- 
cal truth and holiness. The word of God ran 
and was glorified, achieving the most splendid 



152 WESLEY OFFEHING. 

victories over contemptible prejudice, hateful 
bigotry, and the worst forms of human depravity. 

The incidents and circumstances which had 
hitherto marked the progress of the Wesleyan 
Reformation, and which in the preceding pages 
have been set down with considerable particu- 
larity, continued to occur, without much varia- 
tion, during the first thirty years of its history. 
To name them in the order of occurrence, would 
be to form a continuous detail of sermons deliver- 
ed to listening multitudes in the open air ; sin- 
ners inquiring with tears what they should do 
to be saved ; thousands happily converted to 
Christ ; new societies formed, and old ones im- 
proved ; abuses and persecutions endured for the 
sake of Christ and souls ; attacks by enemies, 
and defences by friends ; and numerous provi- 
dential interferences in behalf of the cause of 
truth and righteousness, and its God-favored 
agents ; all of which has, at least upon a small 
scale, passed in review before us. There are, 
nevertheless, a few things within this period 
which justify farther illustration. 

The Grospei is decidedly aggressive in its spirit 
and design. It neither despises the day of small 



WESLEY OFFERING. 153 

things, nor is satisfied with small attainments. 
Those blessed by its influence become at once 
anxious to bless others. Every truly converted 
person becomes a witness fur God, and a laborer 
in His vineyard. He is a soldier, enlisted in a 
warfare which is to terminate only with his 
natural life; and in which, victory confers the 
highest good upon the vanquished, while it aug- 
ments the reward of the victor. The Captain 
leads his hosts only against sin and error ; he 
conquers only to save : and having conquered, 
on his lips hangs the law of kindness. 

The rapidity with which the Gospel spread, 
under the labors of the "Wesley s and their preach- 
ers, producing its appropriate fruits wherever it 
came, has no parallel, except in apostolic times; 
and there is, in several respects, a striking paral- 
lel between the two cases. Both reformations 
were blessed with a remarkable display of Divine 
power in connection with the preached Gospel, 
producing effects unusual in ordinary times upon 
the minds of the people. Both were aided in 
their extension by the quenchless zeal and steady 
perseverance of the principal agents, as also the 
personal activity of the converts. Both were 



154 WESLEY OFFERING. 

persecuted by secular and ecclesiastical digni- 
taries, and in both cases, those persecuted went 
everywhere preaching the word, the Lord con- 
firming the truth with signs following. 

Not only did Mr. Wesley and his coadjutors 
extend their visits to every part of the British 
isle, and preach and establish societies among 
thousands who had never before heard a gospel 
sermon, but they also embraced Ireland and 
Scotland in their benevolent designs. Mr. Wes- 
ley had contemplated visiting Scotland at an 
early period of the Reformation, but he was pre- 
vented from doing so. partly by his numerous 
and pressing duties in England, and partly by 
the advice of friends, and an unwillingness to 
come in contact with the influence of Mr. White- 
field, who had separated from him on the doc- 
trine of Calvinistic Election and Reprobation, 
and had preceded him in Scotland. Jn 1761, 
he executed his design respecting his northern 
tour, and penetrated Scotland as far as Aberdeen. 
He was favorably received, and had the satisfac- 
tion of seeing the good cause advancing in that 
region. 

" Next to their own country, the sympathies 



WESLEY OFFERING. 155 

of the brothers were awakened in behalf of Ire- 
land, -where protestantism bad fallen into a pro- 
found sleep, under the shade of the civic power; 
and popery, ever watchful and active for the at- 
tainment of its own worldly and selfish ends, 
was rapidly leading the body of the population 
into superstition and sin. After visiting the 
principal counties in England, Mr. John AYesley 
went to Ireland in the year 1747, as a preacher 
of righteousness, where he met at once, with 
formidable opposition, and encouraging success 
He was immediately followed by his brother, 
who preached with equal zeal and power in sev- 
eral of the most important towns, unmoved by 
the Romish mobs, some of which seemed de- 
termined to shed his blood. Some of his escapes 
were almost miraculous. After patient perseve- 
rance their object was gained. Preachers were 
stationed in several of the principal towns ; cir- 
cuits and societies were formed ; a standard was 
raised against the farther encroachments of anti- 
Christian error ; many thousands of nominal 
Christians became the spiritual worshippers of 
God ; and not a few of the deluded Romanists 
were not onlv taught to distinguish between the 



156 WESLEY OFFERING. 

religion of Christ and the commandments of 
men, but believed in the Lord Jesus to the sav- 
ing of the soul." [Jackson's Centenary.) 

The expansive and diffusive spirit of the Wes- 
leyan revival, could no longer be confined to the 
United Kingdom. In 1765 or 1766, it found its 
way to America. Philip Embury, and several 
other German and Irish emigrants, having settled 
in the city of New York, established the first soci- 
ety of Methodists upon the American continent. 
Before his emigration to this country, Mr. Em- 
bury was employed by Mr. Wesley as a local 
preacher, and as such he labored acceptably and 
usefully in his adopted country. The first ser- 
mon in America, was preached in his own house 
to only five emigrant Methodists. Soon the num- 
ber of hearers increased, sinners were awakened 
and converted, and a society organized. Need- 
ing better accommodations, they hired a room 
near the military barracks, which had been used 
as a sail loft. Captain Webb, a military officer, 
and a local preacher in connection with Mr. Wes- 
ley, who had been ordered to America, and ap- 
pointed barrack-master at Albany, found out 
this infant society, and rendered them much aid 



WESLEY OFFERING. 157 

by his preaching and influence. They continued 
to worship in this room for a year or more, when 
their numbers being much increased, and the 
place too strait for them, they resolved to build 
a house for the Lord. For this purpose they 
purchased grounds in John-street, and forthwith 
commenced the work. But being mostly poor, 
they felt the need of more pecuniary means than 
they could command. In their extremity, they 
applied to Mr. Wesley for money and preachers, 
to aid in building up the cause of Methodism. 
The following entry in Mr. Wesley's journal, 
will show what kind of response was given to 
this Macedonian cry. 

" Tuesday, August 1, 1769. Our Conference 
began at Leeds. On Thursday I mentioned the 
case of our brethren at New York. For some 
years past, several of our brethren from England 
and Ireland (and some of them preachers) had 
settled in North America, and had in various 
places formed societies, particularly in Philadel- 
phia and New York. The society of New York 
had lately built a commodious preaching house ; 
and now desired our help, being in great want 
of money, but much more of preachers. Two 



158 WESLEY OFFERING. 

of our preachers, Richard Boardman and Joseph 
Pilmore, willingly offered themselves for the ser- 
vice, by whom we determined to send over fifty 
pounds as a token of our brotherly love." 

These brethren embarked for America without 
delay, and after an unpleasant voyage of nine 
weeks' duration, arrived safely at Philadelphia, 
Mr. Pilmore remained at Philadelphia, while 
Mr. Boardman proceeded to New York. He was 
received with great cordiality, and the fifty 
pounds sent over by the English Methodists 
proved a most seasonable relief. Such was the 
commencement of American Methodism. Other 
preachers soon followed the example of Pilmore 
and Boardman, in giving themselves to the cause 
of Grod in America. They extended their trav- 
els into Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and 
the interior of New York ; and so successful 
were they in that work to which they devoted 
all their energies, that when the American revo- 
lution commenced (in 1776), there were twenty- 
two preachers, most of them Americans, and 
about three thousand members united in the 
societies they had formed. 

The Wesleys, as well as the work in which 



WESLEY OFFERING. 159 

they were engaged, continued to be hated and 
persecuted. The persecuting spirit did not al- 
ways show itself in the same way, yet it gave 
decided proof of its existence. As the revival 
spread, multiplying its subjects by thousands, and 
numbering among them many respectable and 
influential persons, that violent and vulgar oppo- 
sition which had often shown itself in the blind 
fury of the mob, became less frequent. But the 
feeling that prompted it still existed, and some- 
times found vent through channels that were 
deemed respectable. To personal violence, by 
physical force, succeeded violent attacks through 
the press, upon personal character, and upon the 
doctrines they taught. At one time, a very pop- 
ular slander was, that they were papists ; but 
the persecutions they suffered in Ireland, at the 
hands of the Romanists, robbed their enemies of 
this weapon, or at least made them ashamed to 
use it. At another time it was currently report- 
ed that they were in league with the Preten- 
der, and laboring to overthrow the government. 
Every variety of wicked and cruel slander that 
malice and ingenuity could invent, was eagerly 
caught up and circulated to bring them and the 



160 WESLEY OFFERING. 

reformation into disrepute. The agents in this 
malignant business were in spirit and design, 
identical with those who said to Christ, " Thou 
art a Samaritan, and hast a devil," and finally 
crucified him on a charge of treason against 
Ceesar. 

A persecution of a different kind, as to its 
agents, and the manner of conducting it, and 
aimed more particularly at the doctrines of the 
"Wesley an reformation, commenced in 1770, and 
led to the famous controversy between Fletcher 
and several distinguished and talented writers on 
the disputed points between Calvinism and 
Arminianism. 

The way had been prepared for this contro- 
versy, by the great talent and influence of Mr. 
Whitefield, who had embraced the Calvinistic 
theology, and made it the occasion of a separa- 
tion from the Wesleys. He had been to America, 
and preached throughout the country with much 
success — being received with great favor by the 
Calvinistic Churches; and with his faith respect- 
ing particular election, greatly strengthened by 
communion with American Calvinists, he return- 
ed to renew his career of usefulness in his native 



WESLEY OFFERING. 161 

land. Finding the Wesleys preached general re- 
demption, and the possible salvation of all, he 
entirely separated from them, and preached and 
wrote against them. " Having heard much," 
says Mr. J. "Wesley, " of Mr. Whitefield's unkind 
behavior since his return from Greorgia, I went 
to him to hear him speak for himself, that I 
might know how to judge. I much approved of 
his plainness of speech. He told me he and I 
preached two different gospels, and therefore, he 
not only would not join with, or give me the 
right hand of fellowship, but was resolved, pub- 
licly, to preach against me and my brother, 
wheresoever he preached at all. Mr. Hall (who 
went with me) put him in mind of the promise 
he had made but a few days before, that, what- 
ever his private opinion was, he would never, 
publicly, preach against us. He said that 
promise was only the effect of human weakness, 
and he was now of another mind." (Journal.) 
It is true, the breach thus occasioned was after- 
wards healed, so far as to restore personal friend- 
ship and Christian fellowship, yet the discordant 
doctrinal views held and preached by them, were 
never reconciled. Mr. Whitefield continued the 
11 



162 WESLEY OFFERING. 

advocate of particular election and partial re- 
demption, — while the Wesleys proclaimed wher- 
ever they came, respecting the amplitude of the 
atonement and its application to the wants of the 

■world, — 

" Its streams the whole creation reach, 
So plenteous is the store ; 
Enough for all, enough for each, 
Enough forever more." 

Subsequent to this period Mr. Whitefield 
preached with considerable success in England 
and Scotland. In Scotland where the dissenting 
Churches were numerous, and strongly imbued 
with Calvinism, the people soon dropped their 
prejudices against him on account of his being a 
churchman, and received him with much favor 
in consideration of the zeal and energy with 
which he asserted the sterner features of the 
Calvinian creed. In England, being a church- 
man by education and ordination, and having 
published his separation from the Wesleys, his 
influence was considerable with the evangelical 
clergy of the establishment, who were generally 
the advocates of unconditional election and rep- 
robation. Moreover, as he had broken away 
from the formality of the national Church, and 



WESLEY OFFERING. 163 

therefore sympathized in many particulars with 
the dissenters generally, he had little difficulty 
in gaining access to them. Being a man of re- 
markable eloquence, and extraordinary pathos, 
he was followed by multitudes, and his preach- 
ing made a decided, often a lasting impression. 
But as he was instrumental in rousing the dead 
and lukewarm among clergy and laity, to new 
life and increased zeal and activity, he was 
equally successful in forming their creed in har- 
mony with his own, or giving a more decided 
sternness and inflexibility, to their previously 
entertained notions of the divine decrees. Many 
persons of distinction among both clergy and 
laity became the patrons of Mr. "Whitefield and 
his theology 

In the meantime the Wesleys were magnifying 
their office as reformers. They committed their 
cause to (rod, and went forward without any 
misgiving. Having nothing incongruous in their 
creed, to embarrass them in offering Christ to the 
sinners, or to cause hesitancy in the minds of 
their hearers, in receiving Christ as their Saviour, 
their success was marked and uniform. If Mr. 
Whitefield numbered his converts by hundreds, 



164: WESLEY OFFERING. 

the "Wesleys numbered theirs by thousands. If 
the followers of Whitefield were tenacious of the 
premises of the Greneva Reformer, and the deduc- 
tions of Geneva logic, the adherents of the Wes- 
leys were equally zealous for the doctrine of 
universal redemption ; and, as in duty bound, 
hated those dogmas which sought to exalt the 
divine sovereignty at the expense of his benevo- 
lence and impartiality, and excluded the greater 
portion of a race equally guilty, and equally 
needy, from the possibility of salvation through 
an atoning Redeemer. In this way, while on 
one hand the doctrines of free grace were rapidly 
extending, and opening channels of mercy to 
many dark and depraved minds, on the other, the 
elements of a formidable opposition were being 
created, systematized, and brought into active 
agency. There was sufficient hostility to Ar- 
minianism in existence, and the agents and ap- 
pliances for a general and systematic attack had 
been in readiness for several years ; but a fitting 
occasion, or pretext for commencing the engage- 
ment was, as yet, a desideratum. This pretext 
was supposed to be given by the publication of 
the minutes of the Conference of 1770. 



WESLEY OFFERING-. 165 

In these minutes Mr. "Wesley published the 
conversations which took place in the Conference, 
wherein they state and explain the particulars 
in which they had " leaned too much towards 
Calvinism." Certain expressions relative to 
faithfulness , and moral desert or merit, occur- 
ring therein, the meaning of which were strangely 
misapprehended, gave great offence to the lead- 
ing Calvinists of that day. Forthwith, the toc- 
sin of war was sounded, and, as far as the agents 
could effect it, the kingdom was in a blaze. The 
ordinary methods of polemical warfare were not 
deemed sufficiently dignified, imposing, and ef- 
fective, for the occasion which now called to 
arms. The offence was a public one, and com- 
mitted by a large body of ministers. It was 
proper that a public and organized demonstration 
should be made against it. The clergy of all 
denominations not infected with this " dreadful 
heresy," should unite in a body to arrest the 
course of this spiritual Vandalism, which threat- 
ens to overspread the kingdom, and bury the re- 
ligious improvements of ages in one common 
ruin. 

To meet the imperative demands of so extra- 



166 WESLEY OFFERING. 

ordinary an emergency, the Honorable and Rev- 
erend Walter Shirley, a leading Calvinist, and a 
man of rare attainments and great influence in 
his religious associations, issued the following 
" circular letter," to be placed in the hands of 
those whose influence and co-operation he de- 
sired : 

" Sir, — Whereas Mr. Wesley's Conference is 
to be held at Bristol, on Tuesday, the 6th of Au- 
gust next, it is proposed by Lady Huntingdon, 
and many other Christian friends (real Protes- 
tants), to have a meeting at Bristol, at the same 
time, of such principal persons, both clergy and 
laity, who disapprove of the underwritten Min- 
utes ; and as the same are thought injurious to 
the very fundamental principles of Christianity, 
it is farther proposed that they go in a body to 
the said Conference, and insist upon a formal re- 
cantation of the said Minutes ; and in case of a 
refusal, that they sign and publish their protest 
against them. Your presence, sir, on this occa- 
sion, is particularly requested. But if it should 
not suit your convenience to be there, it is de- 
sired that you will transmit your sentiments on 
the subject to such persons as you think proper 



WESLEY OFFERING. 167 

to produce them. It is submitted to you, 
whether it would not be right, in the opposition 
to be made to such a dreadful heresy, to recom- 
mend it to as many of your Christian friends, 
as well of the dissenters as of the Established 
Church, as you can prevail on, to be there, the 
cause being of so public a nature. 

" I am, sir, your obedient servant, 

" Walter Shirley." 

The circulation of this letter through the three 
kingdoms, coming from so respectable a source, 
and having the approbation of many other influ- 
ential persons, had its designed effect, even be- 
fore the time appointed for the convocation. Mr. 
Wesley was denounced by persecuting bigots as 
a " Papist unmasked, a heretic, an apostate" 
Doggerels were composed and published, setting 
forth his apostasy. Great were the shoutings, 
" And now that he teeth, let him rise up no 
more /" 

Let us now look in upon Mr. J. Wesley, as he 
was " sitting quietly in his study on the other 
side of St. George's Channel," when the " trum- 
pet of Mr. Shirley gave the alarm." For a mo- 
ment he may have been a little discomposed by 



168 WESLEY OFFERING. 

this onslaught, as unjust as it was sudden and 
unexpected. But almost instantly his mind re- 
gains its usual calmness, with, perhaps, more 
than its wonted firmness. He takes his pen and 
writes the following words, which strongly re- 
semble some of those outbursts of the noble and 
fearless soul of Martin Luther, when he learned 
the existence of some new opposition or combi- 
nation against the Reformation ; though the 
w T ords of Wesley are not marked by the rashness 
which often appeared in the language of Luther. 

(1.) " I believe no decree of reprobation, I do 
not believe the Father of spirits ever consigned 
one unborn soul to hell, or damned him from his 
mother's womb. 

(2.) " I believe no decree of pretention, which 
is only reprobation whitewashed. I do not be- 
lieve God ever sent one man into the world, to 
whom he had decreed never to give that grace 
whereby alone he could escape damnation. 

(3.) " I do not believe any such absolute elec- 
tion, as implies that all but the absolutely elect 
shall inevitably be damned. 

(4.) " I do not believe the doctrine of irresisti- 
ble grace, or infallible perseverance ; because 



WESLEY OFFERING. 169 

both the one and the other, implies that election, 
which cannot stand without pretention, or repro- 
bation. 

(5.) " I do not believe in salvation by works. 
Yet, if any man can prove (what I judge none 
ever did, nor ever will) that there is no medium 
between this and absolute predestination ; I will 
rather subscribe to this than to that, as far less 
absurd of the two." 

" Hinc illce lachrymce ? Here is the source 
of Mr. H.'s (Rowland Hill's) implacable hatred to 
me. And hence arises his vehement displeasure 
at those Minutes, which Mr. Shirley and he 
style " dreadful heresy.'''' For many years, from 
a well-meant but ill-judged tenderness, we have 
suffered the reprobation preachers (vulgarly called 
gospel preachers) to spread their poison almost 
without opposition. But at length they have 
awakened us out of sleep : Mr. H. has answered 
for all his brethren, roundly declaring that " any 
agreement with election doubters, is a covenant 
with death." It is well : we are now forewarned, 
and forearmed. "We look for neither peace nor 
truce with any who do not openly and expressly 
renounce this diabolical sentiment. But since 



170 WESLEY OFFERING, 

God is on our side, we will not fear what man 
can do unto us. We never before saw our way- 
clear to do more than act on the defensive. But 
since the circular letter has sounded the alarm, 
has called forth all their hosts to war ; and since 
Mr. H. has answered the call, drawing the sword 
and throwing away the scabbard ; what re- 
mains, but to own the hand of Grod, and make a 
virtue of necessity ? I will no more desire any 
Arminian, so called, to remain only on the defen- 
sive. Rather chase the fiend, Reprobation, to 
his own hell, and every doctrine connected with 
it. Let none pity or spare one limb of either 
speculative or practical Antinomianism." 

The gathering of u real Protestants" invoked 
by the circular letter of Mr. Shirley, to give a 
public demonstration against the " dreadful her- 
esy," did not amount to as much as was antici- 
pated by those concerned in getting it up. The 
convocation took place at the time specified, but 
was far from being formidable. 

They entered the Conference as they had pro- 
posed to do, but with a subdued and modified 
tone and bearing. Mr. J. "Wesley, who was 
president of the Conference, received them cour- 



WESLEY OFFERING. 171 

teously ; and after mutual conversations and ex- 
planations, which continued about two hours, in 
which Mr. Shirley and those with him acknowl- 
edged that " the circular was too hastily drawn 
up, and improperly expressed ; and therefore, for 
the offensive expressions contained in it," say 
they, "we desire we may be hereby understood 
to make every suitable submission.:" and Mr. 
"Wesley admitted some expressions in the Minutes 
were " not sufficiently guarded :" it was agreed 
by Mr. Shirley, that instead of a " formal recan- 
tation" of the " dreadful heresy," they would be 
satisfied with a declaration from Mr. Wesley and 
his preachers, that they neither believed nor 
taught "justification by works;" and in which 
they also say, " We have no trust or confidence 
but in the alone merits of our Lord and Saviour, 
Jesus Christ, for justification or salvation, either 
in life, death, or the day of judgment." This 
declaration being made and signed by Mr. Wes- 
ley and fifty-three of his preachers, Mr. Shirley 
placed at the disposal of the president the fol- 
lowing card : — 

" Mr. Shirley's Christian respects wait on Mr. 
Wesley. The declaration agreed to in Confer- 



172 WESLEY OFFERING. 

ence, the 8th of August, 1771, has convinced Mr. 
Shirley he had mistaken the meaning of the doc- 
trinal points in the minutes of the Conference 
held in London, August 7th, 1770 : and he 
wishes hereby to testify the full satisfaction he 
has in the said declaration, and his hearty con- 
currence and agreement with the same. Mr. 
Wesley is at full liberty to make what use he 
pleases of this. — August 10th, 1771." 

Thus ended this public demonstration of Cal- 
vinistic ministers against Arminian heresy, as 
put forth in the " minutes" of the Conference, — 
rather a tame issue to an affair which had so 
pompous a beginning. 

The effects produced by the circular of Mr. 
Shirley, in the religious circles of the country 
generally, were not so easily disposed of. Con- 
scientious, pious, talented divines found them- 
selves compelled to take sides, for or against the 
doctrines condemned, and this necessarily led to 
more or less collision and controversy. From 
the points objected to in the " minutes," the dis- 
cussion extended to collateral subjects. The 
lion of controversy had been roused, and he only 
growled the more fiercely as attempts were made 



WESLEY OFFERING. 173 

to tame him into submission. He refused to lie 
down again in his lair, until every point of dif- 
ference between partial redemption and the un- 
conditional election and reprobation of Calvin, 
and the general redemption and conditional 
election and reprobation of Arminius, had been 
thoroughly scanned. 

In opposition to universal redemption and free 
salvation, such men as Shirley, Toplady, Row- 
land Hill, and Richard, his brother, employed all 
their talent and influence. Rhetoric, logic, sar- 
casm, and personal abuse, were brought into 
requisition, as these champions found themselves 
involved by the absurdities of their theory, and 
the arguments of their opponents. 

On the other hand, Mr. Wesley intrusted the 
conduct of the discussion almost entirely to Mr. 
Fletcher, who became to him what Melancthon 
was to Luther, the distinguished expounder and 
defender of the doctrines of the Reformation. Tn 
reviewing the history of that contest with the 
powers of Rome, it is difficult to see how Luther 
could have dispensed with the services of Me- 
lancthon. The rashness of one was tempered by 
the mild and gentle disposition of the other. The 



174 WESLEY OFFERING. 

impetuous and fiery spirit of Luther prepared 
him for the bold strokes of a Reformer, but un- 
fitted him for the calm judgment and patient in- 
vestigation essential to successful controversy. 
Luther was the Reformer, Melancthon the Theo- 
logian of the 16th centur}'. 

Though Wesley was, constitutionally and edu- 
cationally, better fitted for the contests of polemi- 
cal divinity than Luther, yet his numerous, 
pressing, and constantly increasing duties as the 
head pastor of a large and rapidly growing reli- 
gious community, left him no spare time to de- 
vote to such a work. It was, therefore, not only 
opportune, but he ever considered it providential, 
that Mr. Fletcher appeared as he did, to take the 
management of the controversy so unexpectedly 
forced upon them, and conduct it to a successful 
termination. 

Fletcher was a Frenchman, of finished educa- 
tion and accomplished manners. He was born 
at Nyon, in Switzerland, 1729, and educated at 
the University of Geneva. Having visited Eng- 
land, he became tutor to the two sons of Thomas 
Hill, Esquire, of Shropshire, and was converted 
when about twenty-five years old. The account 



WESLEY OFFERING. 175 

he gives of his first acquaintance with the adhe- 
rents of Mr. "Wesley is as follows: "While tutor, 
he accompanied the family of Mr. Hill to Lon- 
don. As he was not to be found when they were 
ready to return, they started without him. A 
horse being left for him, he rode after them, and 
overtook them in the evening. Mr. Hill asked 
him why he stayed behind. He said, ' As I was 
walking, I met with a poor old woman, who 
talked so sweetly of Jesus Christ, that I knew 
not how the time passed away.' ' I shall won- 
der,' said Mrs. Hill, ' if our tutor does not turn 
Methodist by-and-by.' ' Methodist, Madam,' said 
he, 'pray, what is that?' She replied, 'Why, 
the Methodists are a people that do nothing but 
pray ; they are praying all day and all night.' 
1 Are they ?' said he : ' then by the help of 
God, I will find them out, if they be above 
ground.' " 

He did find them out not long after, and was 
admitted a member of the society. He was ad- 
mitted to the ministry by ordination at White- 
hall, in 1757, being then twenty-eight years of 
age. In 1760, he was settled over the parish 
of Madely, where he exercised his ministry to 



176 WESLEY OFFERING. 

the day of his death, a period of twenty-five 
years. Daring this whole period, 

" Grace was in all his steps, heaven in his eye, 
In all his gestures sanctity and. love," 

From their first acquaintance, the friendship 
between Mr. Wesley and Mr. Fletcher, was most 
sacred and intimate ; and at the time of this sys- 
tematic attack upon the doctrines of the Wesley an 
reformation, had continued about sixteen years. 

In distributing his circular, Mr. Shirley sent a 
copy of it to Mr. Fletcher, by which he invited 
him to be present and assist in the public demon- 
stration to be made against the " dreadful here- 
sy" therein referred to. This Mr. Fletcher could 
no more do, than he could renounce Christ, and 
turn Turk or Infidel. Moreover, he did not feel 
at liberty to remain silent. He saw the reputa- 
tion of his old, long-tried friend in danger, and 
also, that a combination was formed against that 
blessed truth which he had advocated so many 
years, and which was dearer to him than life. 
Without conferring with flesh and blood, he 
takes his pen, and writes the following words to 
Mr. Shirley : 



WESLEY" OFFERING. 177 

w Honored and Reverend Sir : — Before a judge 
passes sentence upon a person accused of theft, 
he hears what his neighbors have to say for his 
character. Mr. Wesley, I grant, is accused of 
what is worse than theft, dreadful heresy ; and 
I know, that whosoever maintains dreadful her* 
esy, is a dreadful heretic ; and that the Church 
of Rome shows no mercy to such. But may not 
real protestants indulge with the privilege of a 
felon, one whom they so lately respected as a 
brother. And may not I, an old friend and ac- 
quaintance of his, be permitted to speak a word 
in his favor, before he is branded in the forehead, 
as he has already been on the back. 

" This step, I fear, will cost me my reputa- 
tion (if I have any) and involve me in the same 
condemnation with him whose cause, together 
with that of truth, I design to plead. But when 
humanity prompts, when gratitude calls, when 
friendship excites, when reason invites, when 
justice demands, when truth requires, and con- 
science summons, he does not deserve the name 
of a Christian friend, who, for any consideration, 
hesitates to vindicate what he esteems truth, 
and to stand by an aggrieved friend, brother, and 
12 



178 WESLEY OFFERING-. 

father. "Were I not, sir, on such an occasion as 
this, to step out of my beloved obscurity, you 
might deservedly reproach me as a dastardly 
wretch ; nay, you have already done it in gen- 
eral terms, in your excellent sermon on the fear 
of man. ' How often,' say you, ' do men 
sneakingly forsake their friends, instead of glori- 
ously supporting them against a powerful adver- 
sary, even where their cause is just, for reasons 
hastily prudential, for fear of giving umbrage 
to a superior party or interest.' " 

This controversy, commenced with so much 
spirit on both sides, was continued without in- 
termission through several years. The oppo- 
nents of Mr. Fletcher, being plied with argu- 
ments, and pressed with logical and theological 
difficulties on every hand, were not able to pre- 
serve their temper. They charged him with 
" calumny, forgeries, vile slanders, acrimonious 
sneers, and horrid misrepresentations." They 
complained that he had exhibited their vener- 
ated doctrines in such a light as to excite mirth 
and pity. But his answer was, " How can I 
help it ? If a painter who knows not how to 
flatter, draws to the life an object excessively 



WESLEY OFFERING. 179 

ridiculous in itself, must it not appear exces- 
sively ridiculous in his picture ? Is it right to 
exclaim against his pencil as malicious, and his 
colors as unfair, because he impartially uses 
them according to the rules of his art? And 
can any unprejudiced person expect that he 
should draw the picture of the night without 
using any black shades at all ?" 

In this discussion Mr. Fletcher astonished 
both his friends and his enemies. He proved 
himself a classical scholar, deeply read in the 
philosophy of the schools — as familiar with the 
Scriptures as with the alphabet — extensively ac- 
quainted with history and biblical literature — a 
master in logic, and remarkably happy in the 
choice and use of figures, with an uncommon 
faculty to seize the strong points of every sub- 
ject, and make them transparent. He disposed 
of the pages of his opponents as though they 
were mere trifles. Toplady, Crisp, and Hill ap- 
pear in his hands, as pigmies by the side of a 
giant. He broke through the logical web with 
which they sought to entangle him, with as 
much ease as Samson snapped from his arms 
the withes of the Philistines. He walked up 



180 WESLEY OFFERING. 

to their strongest arguments, and brushed them 
away like thistle blows. Though he treated his 
opponents with great respect and courtesy, yet 
he gave no quarter to their errors ; but, to use his 
own language, he pursued the serpent into his 
darkest hiding-place, and " seizing him with the 
tongs of truth, he dragged him out to public 
gaze, stripped of his shining slippery dress, while 
he darted in vain his forked and hissing tongue." 

Calvinism as then taught, with its antinomian 
fruits, has never recovered from the shock it then 
received ; since that time it has been " smitten 
with consumption," and though it may linger 
long upon the confines of the tomb, its ultimate 
death is certain. 

The writings of Fletcher were collected and 
published, and Mr. "Wesley in reviewing the 
whole, remarks as follows : — " How much good 
has been occasioned by the publication of that 
1 circular letter !' This was the happy occasion 
of Mr. Fletcher's writing those ' checks to Anti- 
nomianism ;' in which one knows not which to 
admire most, the purity of the language, the 
strength and clearness of the argument, or the 
mildness and sweetness of the spirit that breathes 



WESLEY OFFERING. 181 

through the whole ; insomuch that I nothing 
wonder at a serious clergyman, who, being re- 
solved to live and die in his own opinion, when 
he was pressed to read them, replied: 'No, I 
will never read Mr. Fletcher's checks, for if I did, 
I should be of his mind.' " 

These writings soon found their way to America, 
and wherever read, commanded unqualified ad- 
miration. The celebrated Dr. Rush having read 
them, was so delighted, that he declared, if he 
was ever so happy as to reach heaven, the first 
man he would inquire for would be John Flet- 
cher : he would take him by the hand, and thank 
him far the service he had done to the cause of 
truth in writing his " checks to Antinomianism.' , 



CHAPTER VII. 



Much liad he read, 
Much more had seen : he studied from the life, 
Aud in the original perused mankind. — Armstrong. 

Mind's command o'er mind, 
Spirit's o'er spirit, is the clear effect 
And natural action of mi inward yift, 
Given of Gud. — Bailey's Fkstus. 

Merit like his, the fortune of the mind, 
Beggars all wealth. — Thomson. 



Hitherto, we have in most cases, associated 
the name of Charles Wesley, with that of his 
brother John, in relating the events of the Wes- 
leyan Reformation. This is an honor to which 
he is well entitled, and which, as respects the 
most of his life, history will ever give him. For 
many years, he gave himself fully to all the toils 
of an itinerant ministry, and endured with a 
cheerful and heroic mind, the violent persecutions 
of the vulgar and shameless, and the contemp- 
tuous epithets and sarcasms, of the more educa- 



WESLEY OFFERING. 183 

ted and refined, yet not less hostile and depraved 
classes of society. 

Mr. John Wesley, however, was always con- 
sidered the responsible and guiding mind. The 
chief burden, both in planning and executing, 
always devolved on him ; and as years passed, 
and the work increased, and responsibilities ac- 
cumulated, he became more and more conspicu- 
ous as the guiding mind, the hero of the Reforma- 
tion. While John increased to the very last 
year of his eventful life, and seemed ever ready 
to meet whatever exigencies might occur, Charles 
decreased : — not in piety — not in zeal, and in- 
terest for the work of reformation in which he 
had borne so conspicuous a part, but in his 
public labors, and the general supervision of the 
work, and activity of his ministry. For this, his 
principal reasons were, domestic cares, and ill- 
health. But besides this, candor requires us to 
say, that being more strenuous and inflexible in 
his adherence to high Church principles, he 
differed from his brother in respect to some meas- 
ures adopted by the latter for the extension and 
permanency of the Reformation. He saw, as he 
supposed, in these measures, a radical departure 



184 WESLEY OFFERING. 

from Apostolic rule, and true Church order, and 
hence, while he would not publicly oppose, he 
did not feel at liberty to concur in executing the 
plan adopted. From this time our reference to 
Charles Wesley will be less frequent, while we 
shall see the character of John becoming more 
prominent as the champion of truth, and the 
acknowledged leader of the religious reforms of 
the age. 

Notwithstanding the various attacks made 
upon Wesley and his preachers, and the numer- 
ous controversies they were obliged to maintain, 
in order to sustain the doctrines and discipline of 
the connection, the societies continued to spread 
and flourish. The ceaseless activity of Wesley, 
in visiting the societies throughout the kingdom, 
though now over seventy years old, animated the 
preachers with a like zeal ; and their union of 
spirit and action gave them great power and 
success with the people. They considered them- 
selves the special agents of providence, for the 
revival of scriptural holiness, and hence, depend- 
ed greatly upon divine protection. Even the 
unjust, and often brutal attacks of the ignorant, 
bigoted, and unprincipled, were not unfrequently 



WESLEY OFFERING. 185 

seen to turn to the furtherance of the Gospel, of 
which the following is an example. Being in 
Dublin, "I went," says he, " at eleven, and again 
in the afternoon, to the cathedral, where a young 
gentleman most valiantly encountered the ' griev- 
ous wolves,' as he termed the Methodists. I 
never heard a man strike more wide of the mark. 
However, the shallow discourse did good : for it 
sent abundance of people, rich and poor, to hear 
and judge for themselves, so that the court, at 
the top of which I stood, was filled from end to 
end." — Monday, 29th. "In the evening I preached 
in the market-place, at Clonmell, to a listening 
multitude." 

This was not his first visit to Ireland, nor was 
this the first opposition encountered there for the 
sake of the Gospel. When the Wesley s first 
opened their mission there, they almost every- 
where met the violence of a superstitious and 
bigoted populace, who, instigated by furious zeal 
to sustain Catholicism, as well as by their savage 
dispositions and brutal passions, seemed to thirst 
for their blood : and many times their lives were 
in danger. But many years had now passed since 
they entered that land, as gospel pioneers. The 



186 WESLEY OFFERING. 

seed sown upon that sterile soil, had yielded a 
good degree of pleasant and excellent fruit. 
Many large and flourishing societies had been 
formed, convenient places of worship had been 
erected, and by the stated and zealous attention 
of the preachers, large congregations were estab- 
lished. Open opposition had pretty much ceased, 
except now and then, as in the case just related, 
an ignorant and bigoted Catholic or Churchman, 
would disgorge himself of his bitterness and 
spleen from the pulpit and through the press. 
During this visit, his reception was every way 
cordial and satisfactory. Wherever he went, he 
was followed by listening and admiring multi- 
tudes. 

Having preached in the principal cities and 
towns, examined the state of the societies, cor- 
rected such abuses and irregularities as had 
grown up during his absence, and met the 
preachers of Ireland in Conference capacity, he 
returned to England, the 22d of July, just four 
months from the time he embarked for Ireland. 

The next eight months were spent in travel- 
ling at large through England, visiting and con- 
firming the churches, preaching wherever he 



WESLEY OFFERING. 187 

could find a congregation, in a church, in a pri- 
vate room, or in the open air: sometimes to a 
few, but usually to thronging multitudes. Dur- 
ing this time he preached at Oxford, and also at 
South Lye, where forty-six years before he had 
preached his first sermon. 

In the ensuing April he commenced another 
tour through Scotland, taking Edinburgh, Glas- 
gow, Perth, Aberdeen, Dundee, Dunbar, and 
many other places of less note, in his way. He 
preached with his usual freedom and effect 
in all these places, and in some of them many 
times, before leaving them. At Perth, he re- 
ceived from the corporate authorities a diploma, 
written in Latin, giving him the freedom of the 
city, as follows : 

" Magistratuum illustris or do et honor andus 
senatorum costus inclytce civilatis Perthensis, in 
debiti anions et affectuum tesseram erga Johan- 
nem W — ; — y immunitatibus prcefatce civitatis, 
societatis etiam et fraternitatis cedilitice priui- 
leg-iis donarunt Aprilis die 28° anno Sal. 
1772°." 

Translation : " The illustrious order of Magis- 
trates, and honorable body of Aldermen, of the 



188 WESLEY OFFERING. 

renowned city of Perth, in token of their de- 
served love and affection for John Wesley, have 
presented him with the freedom of the aforesaid 
city, and with the privileges of a burgess. 
" April 28, in the year of salvation, 1772." 
In one other town in Scotland he received a 
similar honor, in respect to which he remarks : 
" I value it as a token of their respect, though 
I shall hardly make any further use of it." 

As the " circular" of Mr. Shirley had been dis- 
tributed in Scotland, and the dissenting interest 
in that part of the kingdom was generally and 
decidedly Calvinistic, Mr. Wesley was prepared 
for a cool reception, even by those who once 
greeted him with the warmth of Christian friend- 
ship. But in this he was agreeably disappointed. 
The instances of disaffection and hostility on this 
account were very rare, and he had much occa- 
sion to rejoice at the triumph of piety and good 
sense over narrow-minded prejudice and bigotry. 
Ministers and people generally, treated him with 
courtesy, and many of them gave him the most 
convincing proofs of Christian friendship and af- 
fection. On the whole, his visit to Scotland was 
quite as agreeable and useful as he had antici- 



WESLEY OFFERING. 189 

pared, and having spent about three months in 
that region, he took his leave of the land of 
Wallace and Bruce, and returned to England. 

August 4th, the English Conference commenced 
its session at Leeds. Since their previous meet- 
ing Mr. Wesley had made the tour of Ireland, 
England, and Scotland ; preaching generally 
every day, often twice, and sometimes thrice, 
and even four times in a day. He had performed 
a vast amount of pastoral work, in visiting from 
house to house, mingling in their social meetings, 
and becoming acquainted with the numerical 
strength and spiritual state of the societies, by 
inquiring into everything connected with their 
prosperity, small as well as great ; he had trav- 
elled more than five thousand miles, principally 
on horseback ; had read many books, and writ- 
ten his reflections upon them, and upon almost 
everything else he saw or heard ; and yet he re- 
turns to the annual gathering of the Conference 
" not soiled and worn," but with a cheerful 
countenance, a firm and elastic step, unimpaired 
either in body or mind, by the rush of years, or 
the weight of numerous duties, and unparalleled 
labors and responsibilities. 



190 WESLEY OFFERING. 

Nor did he abate his labors at the Conference. 
Being president, of course the chief direction and 
burden of conference business fell on him, be- 
sides the unusual amount of public labor he per- 
formed on those occasions. 

' k Generally," says he, "during the time of 
conference, as I was talking from morning till 
night, I had used to desire one of our brethren 
to preach in the morning; but, having many 
things to say, I resolved, with (rod's help, to 
preach mornings, as well as evenings. And I 
found no difference at all ; I was no more tired 
than with my usual labor ; that is, no more than 
if I had been sitting still in my study from 
morning to night." He makes a similar remark 
respecting his labor at the next Conference. " I 
preached mornings as well as evenings, and it 
was all one. I found myself just as strong, as 
if I had preached but once a day." 

We have here in the person and history of 
Mr. Wesley, a prominent, and most extraordi- 
nary example of health, cheerfulness, diligence, 
and efficient usefulness, at a time of life when 
most men think themselves justified in retiring 
from all business, and especially from the re- 



WESLEY OFFERING. 191 

sponsibilities of public life. The great majority 
of Christian ministers, do not seem to hold them- 
selves competent to do effective service in the 
gospel field after they have reached the age of 
sixty. And the people, preferring younger, and 
more vigorous men, are quite willing to have it 
so. But is this a true, or false judgment? Con- 
sidered simply as a fact, it is undoubtedly true ; 
but if we inquire whether it be necessarily true, 
our answer must be in the negative. A large 
class of men who begin to decline at forty-five, 
and then drag out a miserable existence as min- 
isters until sixty, when they voluntarily or from 
necessity retire to spend the rest of their days 
in obscurity and inactivity, might, we are confi- 
dent, if they would commence with the calcula- 
tion to do so, and make their habits of eating, 
sleeping, and study tend to this end, extend 
their ministerial activity, acceptability and use- 
fulness, from ten to fifteen years beyond what 
they do; and die, not in inglorious inactivity, but 
with the harness on: or at least make the termi- 
nation of life and labor more nearly coincident : 

" Their body with their charge lay down, 
And cease at once to work and live." 



192 WESLEY OFFERING. 

To a mind of d licate Christian sensibility, 
alive to the pleasures and proprieties of ministe- 
rial duty and usefulness, nothing can be more 
unacceptable than the idea of spending from ten 
to twenty years of the afternoon of life in a state 
of inactivity, and inutility. And yet numbers 
of this class annually pass into this lower sphere 
of ministerial life, just at that age and period in 
their history, when their experience and acqui- 
sitions, should have fitted them to command the 
attention and respect of all classes, to exert an 
influence both extensive and safe; and when the 
Church should feel that duty, interest, and pleas- 
ure, require her to invite them to distinguished 
walks of usefulness, and a higher place in her 
affections. 

Cases of premature infirmity and decay will 
occur under the action of special causes, but 
these are comparatively few ; and for such, the 
Church seldom fails to make due allowance, and 
exercise proper sympathy. But as to the great 
body of superannuates, it is quite clear that their 
disagreeable, and often mortifying relation to the 
field of ministerial toil, is the result, not of neces- 
sity founded in the nature of things, but of neccs- 



WESLEY OFFERING. 193 

sity arising from inexcusable neglects, or delin- 
quencies, in respect to habits of life, the laws of 
health, and the improvement of the mind. There 
are three causes which operate these results, and 
these causes often combine their influence in 
forcing a minister from the field before he has 
accomplished his work. 

First. Irregular physical habits, or inatten- 
tion to the laws of health. "When there is no 
regular system of diet — no adherence to rule as 
to the time of eating, or the kind and quantity 
of food taken — no uniform time of retiring or 
rising, by which just that quantity of sleep con- 
ducive to health is enjoyed : when all this is left 
without law, or controlled only by appetite, or the 
force of circumstances, disease will be, must be 
generated, the most perfect health be impaired, 
and the strongest constitution ultimately fail. 

Second. Overacting, or attempting more within 
a given period than the constitution will endure, 
or more than can be uniformly performed in the 
same time, and under the same circumstances. 
Irregularity in one respect often leads to it in 
others. The life, instead of being a uniform 
course of diligence and duty, in which our 
13 



194 WESLEY OFFERING. 

strength of body and mind is judiciously em- 
ployed in promoting the ends of human existence, 
becomes broken into fragments, portions of which 
are filled up with extravagant attempts to do 
what God never required, and what is beyond 
our natural capabilities, and other portions with 
the languor and inactivity of the invalid, that 
our exhausted energies may be recruited, and 
strength enough acquired to make other eccentric 
and spasmodic efforts. If the labor be intellec- 
tual, an effort is made to accomplish in a week, 
what might properly employ a month, and is 
followed by a prostration of energies which for- 
bids intellectual labor of any kind, for many 
days or weeks succeeding. 

A similar condition of health is induced where 
too much pulpit labor is undertaken, or where 
the minister preaches " too long or too loud," 
or in other respects disregards the rules of pru- 
dence and laws of health in his Pastoral work. 

The strongest constitution cannot long endure 
such direct contempt of the rules of physical 
and intellectual health and activity. There will 
be, there must be, premature inability to perform 
the ordinary work of the minister. 



WESLEY OFFEEIXG. 105 

Third. — The third cause of premature super- 
annuation, may be denominated under- working : 

or, ministerial indolence, particularly mental, 
resulting in intellectual stupor, and inanity. 
The vigor of the mind depends much upon the 
exercise of its powers ; and the effect of inactiv- 
ity is scarcely less pernicious, than that of un- 
natural excitement and over-action. There is a 
class of ministers who seem to have finished their 
studies with their graduation to holy orders. 
That point gained, they have no occasion for 
application to books. The motive for study, if 
any exists, is too weak to rouse them from men- 
tal sluggishness. They soon use up the little 
capital with which they started. The same set 
of ideas serve them for all times, and all occa- 
sions. Their acquaintance with language being 
limited, their phraseology is stereotyped. The 
same thoughts are repeated in the same words 
so often, that they become uninteresting — stale, — 
and the hearer can anticipate the sentences 
before they are uttered. The effect upon the 
preacher, is dulness ; upon the people, listlessness. 
He has delivered the same things so often, in the 
very same words, that they are insipid to him- 



196 WESLEY OFFERING. 

self. Having failed to interest himself in his 
subject before appearing in the pulpit, he lacks 
inspiration. He has no spiritual zest, or holy 
unction to raise him to the dignity of the gospel 
theme. 

The result of all is, he fails to instruct and 
profit the people. He complains of their inat- 
tention, and they complain of his incompetency. 
A dissatisfaction grows up between them, and 
they part in mutual disgust. He takes another 
charge at the ensuing conference, but not having 
acquired sufficient industry and mental vigor to 
" study to show himself approved unto God, a 
workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly 
dividing the word of truth," he labors under the 
same embarrassments, and terminates his relation 
to the people under similar circumstances. Every 
such result increases his depression, and dimin- 
ishes his prospect of future success. His stand- 
ing becomes unavoidably known to the churches 
generally: the people here and there petition 
against him, and soon the bishop and his cabinet 
find themselves obliged to place his name on the 
list of exceptions, that they may, when they 
have more time, consider what can be done with 



WESLEY OFFERING. 197 

him, or, as a final resort, present him to the Con- 
ference as a candidate for location without his 
consent. If the latter course be adopted, the 
sympathy of the Conference places him on the 
superannuated list. The plea of ill-health can- 
not be urged, and hence the action of the Con- 
ference is based on that of mental imbecility. 
The plea is true. The brother can do anything 
but preach. He has neglected mental applica- 
tion so long, that he is an incorrigible sluggard 
in respect to everything requiring intellectual 
effort. He is about forty- five, possibly fifty years 
of age; and the Church has the delightful pros- 
pect of supporting him as a superannuate, from 
twenty to thirty years. 

This is no fancy picture. There are scores of 
men on the list of superannuates, whose prema- 
ture retirement from the ranks of the efficient is 
wholly owing to one or more of the causes above 
named. If they were never called to preach, 
they should not have entered the ministry. If 
they were, they have incurred a fearful responsi- 
bility in so neglecting or outraging the laws of 
health, or neglecting mental improvement, as to 
render themselves incompetent to the work im- 



198 WESLEY OFFERING. 

posed on them by their high and holy commis- 
sion. 

The secret of Mr. "Wesley's health, mental 
vigor, and unabated activity to extreme old age, 
must be looked for in his temperate and regular 
habits, and his mental industry. The first secured 
perfect health, the last kept his mind fresh and 
vigorous, and furnished with topics of discourse 
ever new and interesting both to himself and 
the people. It is true, he recognized the hand 
of Providence in fitting him for his work, and 
sustaining him in it, but he was too well ac- 
quainted with the laws of Providence to expect 
the end without using the means. This is clear 
from the following entry in his Journal : Tuesday, 
July 28th, 1774. " This being my birth-day, 
the first day of my seventy-second year, I was 
considering, How is this, that I find just the 
same strength as I did thirty years ago ? That 
my sight is considerably better now, and my 
nerves firmer than they were then ? That I 
have none of the infirmities of old age, and have 
lost several I had in my youth ? The grand 
cause is the good pleasure of Grod, who doeth 
whatsoever pleaseth him. The chief means are, 



WESLEY OFFERING. 199 

1. My constantly rising at four for about fifty 
years. 2. My generally preaching at five in the 
morning — one of the most healthy exercises in 
the world. 3. My never travelling less by sea 
and land than four thousand five hundred miles 
in a year." On entering his seventy-third year, 
he makes similar reflections on the state of his 
health and strength, and gives as another reason 
for it, evenness of temper. "I feel and grieve" 
says he, " but by the grace of God I fret at 
nothing." 

Mr. Wesley now found himself at the head of 
a large and flourishing body of Christians. His 
adherents were not abstracted from other com- 
munions, but were mostly taken from the ranks 
of the irreligious, many being converted and re- 
formed from courses of abandoned wickedness. 
Being directly or indirectly indebted to him for 
their recovery from darkness to light, and from 
the power of Satan unto God, they, with great cor- 
diality and veneration, acknowledged. him as their 
chief pastor, and submitted to his godly admoni- 
tions and authority. And he took the oversight 
of them, not with ambitious views and feelings, 
" not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind :" 



200 WESLEY OFFERING. 

" not as being a lord over God's heritage, " but 
in meekness, kindness, humility, and self-sacri- 
ficing devotion to the work of saving souls; he 
was an example to the flock, worthy of imitation. 
At the time of which we are speaking (1775), 
the number of preachers under his direction, 
" fully engaged in the work, amounted to one 
hundred and fifty ; and the societies in Great 
Britain and Ireland, to upward of thirty-five 
thousand, exclusive of the regular hearers. '* 
Calculating three hearers for every member of 
society, a population of not less than one hun- 
dred and fifty thousand were receiving religious 
instruction under the labors of Wesley and his 
preachers. Well might he say, in a letter to 
Mr. Fletcher, " What an amazing work has God 
wrought in these kingdoms in less than forty 
years I and it not only continues, but increases, 
throughout England, Scotland, and Ireland ; nay r 
it has lately spread into New York, Pennsylva- 
nia, Virginia, Maryland, and Carolina. But the 
wise men of the world say, ' When Mr. Wesley 
drops, then all this is at an end.' And so it 
surely will, unless, before God calls him hence, 
one is found to stand in his place." 



WESLEY OFFERING. 201 

The object of this letter was to obtain the 
consent of Mr. Fletcher to act as his successor, 
as general superintendent of the connection, 
when G-od should remove him to another world. 
The subject was attended with no little difficulty. 
Authority to govern must be lodged somewhere, 
and Mr. Wesley saw that the continued pros- 
perity and increase of the work of reformation, 
depended much upon a judicious deposit of 
power. It could hardly be expected that the 
preachers and people would, or could, ever feel 
the same respect, deference, and veneration for 
any other man, that they did for Mr. Wesley. 
This he knew very well, yet he seemed to think 
Mr. Fletcher would come nearer to it than any 
other man in his confidence. His brother 
Charles had become infirm, and it was not prob- 
able he would long survive. Besides, his tempera- 
ment, and some of his views of ecclesiastical 
government and Church order, were, in certain 
important respects, different from those of his 
brother. Having no hope of a successor in his 
brother, Mr. Wesley earnestly addressed himself 
to Mr. Fletcher : 

" Thou art the man. God has given you a 



202 WESLEY OFFERING. 

measure of loving faith, and a single eye to his 
glory. He has given you some knowledge of 
men and things, particularly of the old plan of 
Methodism. You are blessed with some health, 
activity, and diligence ; together with a degree 
of learning. And to all these, he has lately 
added, by a w T ay none could have foreseen, fa- 
vor, both with the preachers and with the whole 
people ! Come out in the name of Grod ! Come 
to the help of the Lord, against the mighty ! 
Come while I am alive, and capable of labor! 

' Dum superest lachesi quod torqucat, et pe- 
dibus me porto meis, nullo dextram subeunte 
bacilloP 

("While any of the thread of life remains un- 
spun, and I bear myself upon my feet, without 
aid from a staff.") 

The only objection Mr. Fletcher urged against 
this proposition, was, that he thought himself 
inadequate. He therefore modestly, though 
firmly declined. But had he accepted the offer, 
the plan would have been a failure, for, a few 
years after this he was called into another 
world. Though this effort to settle the succes- 
sion as to the government of the connection was 



WESLEY OFFERING. 203 

unsuccessful, yet, the subject was not allowed 
to sleep. It received the maturest thoughts of 
Mr. Wesley, until 1784, when it was effected 
by a legal instrument enrolled in chancery, 
called " A Deed of Declaration," in which one 
hundred preachers, mentioned by name, were 
declared to be " the Conference of the people 
called Methodists." By means of this deed, a 
legal description was given to the term Confer- 
ence, and the settlement of the chapels upon 
trustees was provided for ; so that the appoint- 
ment of preachers to officiate in them should be 
vested in the Conference, as it had before been 
in Mr. Wesley. This instrument defined the 
powers of the " Conference," or <; legal hundred," 
provided for the annual election of president, for 
the filling of vacancies occasioned by death, ex- 
pulsion, or otherwise, and for some other contin- 
gencies. The " Deed of Declaration" being fin- 
ished and recorded, and the stability of the 
government secured for the future, Mr. Wesley 
felt much relieved of anxiety respecting what 
might happen after his decease ; and he never re- 
ferred to the subject afterwards without the 
highest satisfaction. Some one who was dissat- 



204 WESLEY OFFERING. 

isfied with the arrangement made, had asked in 
a querulous tone, " But what need was there 
for any deed at all ?" To this he replies : 

" There was the utmost need of it ; without 
some authentic deed fixing the meaning of the 
term, the moment I died the Conference had 
been nothing. Therefore any of the proprietors 
of the land on which our preaching houses were 
built, might have seized them for their own use ; 
and there) would have been none to hinder them; 
for the Conference would have been nobody, a 
mere empty name." " In all the pains I have 
taken about this absolutely necessary deed, I 
have been laboring, not for myself (I have no in- 
terest therein) but for the whole body of Metho- 
dists ; in order to fix them upon such a founda- 
tion as is likely to stand as long as the sun and 
moon endure. That is, if they continue to walk 
by faith, and to show forth their faith by their 
works ; otherwise, I pray Grod to root out the 
memorial of them from the earth." 

The following letter, which was addressed to 
the Conference, and read to them at their first 
session after Mr. Wesley's decease, will show the 
purity of his motives, and the impartiality of 



WESLEY OFFERING. 205 

his friendship and affection for his ministerial 
brethren. 

" My Dear Brethren : — Some of our travel- 
ling preachers have expressed a fear, that, after 
my decease, you would exclude them, either 
from preaching in connection with you, or from 
some other privileges which they now enjoy. I 
know of no other way to prevent such incon- 
venience, than to leave these my last words with 
you. I beseech you by the mercies of (rod, that 
you never avail yourselves of the deed of declara- 
tion to assume any superiority over your breth- 
ren ; but let all things go on, among those itin- 
erants who choose to remain together, exactly in' 
the same manner as when I was with you, so far 
as circumstances will permit. 

"In particular, I beseech you, if you ever 
loved me, and if you now love God and your 
brethren, to have no respect of persons, in station- 
ing the preachers, in choosing children for Kings- 
wood School, in disposing of the yearly contribu- 
tions, and the preacher's fund, or any other pub- 
lic money ; but to do all things with a single 
eye, as I have done from the beginning. Go on 
thus, doing all things without prejudice or par- 



206 WESLEY OFFERING. 

tiality, and God will be with you even to the 
end." 

On entering his eighty-first year, Mr. Wesley 
made the following entry in his Journal: — "I 
have this day lived fourscore years ; and, by the 
mercy of God, my eyes are not waxed dim ; and 
what little strength of body or mind I had thirty 
years since just the same I have now. God grant 
I may never live to be useless. Rather may I 

c My body with ray charge lay down, 
And cease at once to work and live.' " 

At this advanced age, Mr. Wesley abated 
nothing of his usual labors. He continued his 
annual tours in the three kingdoms, performing 
the various public and private duties which 
claimed his attention at every step of his prog- 
ress, and even extended his travels to Holland, 
whence his printed sermons had preceded him, 
and created a strong desire among the people to 
see and hear the distinguished author. For two 
months he preached in the principal towns of 
Holland to large and highly interested assem- 
blies, much to his own satisfaction and their 
spiritual profit, and returned to London in time 



WESLEY OFFERING. 207 

to attend the session of the Conference in 

July. 

As Mr, Wesley advanced towards the termina- 
tion of his illustrious career, his societies in 
America became anxious that he should make 
some provision of a governmental character for 
them, which might have the same practical 
effect as that made for the English Conference. 
This was the more necessary, after the war of 
the Revolution, which had not only separated 
the colonies from the mother country, but had 
annihilated the English Church before existing 
there. He felt this to be a very grave subject, 
and that consequences most important and last- 
ing would result from his action, whatever it 
might be. His only solicitude was, that the 
plan adopted might meet the approbation of 
God, and secure His blessing to the Church. 
He gained all the information he could respect- 
ing the necessities of the case — asked counsel of 
all in whose judgment he could confide, and then 
acted out the convictions of his own mind as to 
the course to be pursued, leaving the vindica- 
tion of his motives in the hands of Grod and pos- 
terity. The plan adopted was to erect the Ameri- 



208 WESLEY OFFERING. 

can societies into an independent Church, and give 
them the Episcopal form of government. We 
find the following account of the final disposition 
of this matter in the Journal of Mr. Wesley : — 

Question. " What is the state of our societies 
in North America ? 

Ansiver. " It may best appear by the following 
letter. If any one is minded to dispute con- 
cerning diocesan Episcopacy, he may ; but I 
have better work. 

" Bristol, September 10, 1784. 
" By a very uncommon train of providences, 
many of the provinces of North America are 
totally disjoined from their mother country, and 
erected into independent states. The English 
government has no authority over them any more 
than over the states of Holland. A civil authority 
is exercised over them, partly by Congress, partly 
by the provincial assemblies. But no one either 
exercises or claims any ecclesiastical authority 
at all. In this peculiar situation some thousands 
of the inhabitants of these states desire my ad- 
vice. And in compliance with their desire, I 
have drawn up a little sketch. 



WESLEY OFFERING. 209 

" Lord King's ' Account of the Primitive 
Church' convinced me many years ago, that 
Bishops and Presbyters are the same order, and 
consequently have the same right to ordain. 
For many years I have been importuned, from 
time to time, to exercise this right, by ordaining 
a part of our travelling preachers. But I have 
still refused, not only for peace, sake, but because 
I was determined as little as possible to violate 
the established order of the national Church to 
which I belonged. 

" But the case is widely different between 
England and North America. Here there are 
bishops who have legal jurisdiction ; in America 
there are none, neither any parish ministers. 
So that for some hundred miles together, there 
is none either to baptize, or administer the Lord's 
supper. Here therefore my scruples are at an 
end ; and I conceive myself at full liberty, as I 
violate no order, and invade no man's right, by 
appointing and sending laborers into the harvest. 

" I have accordingly appointed Dr. Coke, and 

Mr. Francis Asbury to be joint superintendents 

over our brethren in North America ; as also 

Richard "Whatcoat and Thomas Yasey to act as 
14 



210 WESLEY OFFEKING. 

Elders among them by baptizing and administer- 
ing the Lord's Supper. 

" If any one will point out a more rational 
and scriptural way of feeding and guiding those 
poor sheep in the wilderness, I will gladly em- 
brace it. At present I cannot see any better 
method than that I have taken. 

" It has indeed been proposed to desire the 
English Bishops to ordain part of our preachers 
for America. But to this I object. (1.) I desired 
the Bishop of London to ordain only one ; but 
could not prevail. (2.) If they consented, we 
know the slowness of their proceedings ; but the 
matter admits of no delay. (3.) If they would 
ordain them now, they would likewise expect to 
govern them. And how grievously would this 
entangle us ! (4.) As our American brethren 
are now totally disentangled, both from the state 
and from the English hierarchy, we dare not en- 
tangle them again, either with the one or the 
other. They are now at full liberty, simply to 
follow the Scriptures and the primitive Church. 
And we judge it best that they should stand fast 
in that liberty, wherewith Grod has so strangely 
made them free." 



WESLEY OFFERING. 211 

The American Societies thus provided for, were 
organized into an Episcopal Church in 1784, 
and have thenceforth been known as the Meth- 
odist Episcopal Chlrch in the United States of 
America, having every ministerial order and 
office, which by Scripture and primitive usage, 
belong, of right, to the Christian Church. This 
was the last great act of Mr. Wesley's life, and 
no act that he ever performed has been, or is 
likely to be, attended with more important re- 
sults. At the time, he had to meet many objec- 
tions and much opposition ; even snmp of his 
friends affected to believe that he had materially 
injured his reputation. To the objection that he 
had never been ordained a bishop, and therefore 
had no right to establish an episcopacy, his an- 
swer was, that by the ordination of providence 
he was " a scriptural episkopos as much as any 
man in England or in Europe," — that bishops 
and presbyters were originally the same order, 
and had the same right to ordain — that the un- 
interrupted succession he knew to be " a fable, 
which no man ever did or can prove" — and that 
the English Church, having become extinct in 
America, the necessities of the case were impera- 



212 WESLEY OFFERING. 

tive, making it a clear case of duty that he 
should provide the ordinances of religion for his 
American brethren. 

On this ground he rested, and here we rest 
the propriety and necessity of his ordination 
acts, and the validity of the Methodist Episco- 
pal ministry. And to sustain this position, we 
have the declarations of the most distinguished 
prelates of the Protestant Reformation. "We 
close this chapter with the following remarks : 

1. There are rightfully but two orders of min- 
isters in the Christian Church, viz., deacons and 
presbyters, or elders. 

2. Presbyters, or elders, were also anciently 
called bishops, especially when they had the 
oversight of a congregation. 

3. The right of ordination was originally vested 
in presbyters. 

4. The title of bishop did not anciently desig- 
nate a distinct order, but merely an office in the 
order of presbyters; and this office was a matter 
of expediency, and presbyters were elevated to 
it by the act of their brethren. 

5. The claim now set up for the exclusive 
right of ordination in bishops of the third order, 



WESLEY OFFERING. 213 

11 jure divino-" is a usurpation, and commenced 
about the latter part of the fourth century. 
Hence Mosheim says, speaking of those times : 
" Many of the privileges formerly belonging to 
the presbyters and people, were usurped by the 
bishops." 

6. The boasted line of succession of bishops 
of the third order, superior to, and distinct from 
presbyters, supposed by some to be so necessary 
to the perpetuity of the Church, and a valid 
ministry, has no existence, except in the imagi- 
nations, sermons, and essays, of those who find 
their interest in the advocacy of such dogmas. 

7. The Methodist Episcopal Church has all 
the ministerial orders, offices, and powers belong- 
ing of right to any Episcopal form of ecclesias- 
tical government, and occupies the true scrip- 
tural ground, equidistant from ministerial parity 
on one hand, and the unlawful and arrogant 
claims of divine-right prelacy on the other. 



CHAPTEE VIII. 



That man lives greatly, 
Whate'er his fate, or fame, who greatly dies ; 
High flushed with hope, when heroes shall despair. 

Young's Night Thoughts. 

Death's but a path that, mus*, be trod, 

If man would ever pass to God. — Parnell. 

Can that man be dead, 
Whose spiritual influence is upon his kind? 
He lives in glory ; and his speaking dust, 
Has more of life than half its breathing moulds. 

Miss Landon. 



The closing scene of Mr. Wesley's life, now 
drew near. He had outlived all those clerical 
contemporaries with whom he started upon his 
illustrious career, and who had shared with him 
the labors, sufferings, and triumphs of his dis- 
tinguished position. 

Mr. Whitefield had departed this life while on 
a tour in America, September, 1770, in the 
midst of his extraordinary labors and usefulness. 
They had separated from each other, on account 
of a radical difference in their creeds, and for a 



WESLEY OFFERING. 215 

while were partially alienated in their feelings ; 
but being honest, and deeply pious, they soon 
rose above every improper feeling, and were re- 
stored to the confidence and friendship of each, 
other. The sincerity of this reconciliation is 
evinced by a letter which Mr. Whitefield wrote 
Mr. Wesley at a time when the latter was sup- 
posed to be near his end. 

" I pity myself and the Church, but not you. 
A radiant throne awaits you ; and ere long you 
will enter into your Master's joy. Yonder he 
stands with a massy crown, ready to put it on 
your head, amid the admiring throng of saints 
and angels ; but I, poor I, that have been 
waiting for my dissolution these nineteen years, 
must be left behind, to grovel here below ! Well, 
this is my comfort, it cannot be long ere the 
chariots will be sent even for worthless me. If 
prayers can detain you, even you, reverend and 
dear sir, shall not leave us yet ; but if the decree 
is gone forth, that you must fall asleep in Jesus, 
may he kiss yoar soul away, and give you to 
die in the embraces of triumphant love. If in 
the land of the dying, I hope to pay my last re- 
spects to you next week. If not, reverend and 



216 WESLEY OFFERING. 

dear sir, f-a-r-e-w-e-l-1 : i" prce, sequar, etsi non 
passibus cequis. My heart is too big ; tears 
trickle down too fast, and you, I fear, are too 
weak for me to enlarge." 

Providence so ordered that Mr. Whitefield was 
trie first to be called away ; and Mr. Wesley paid 
a sincere and eloquent tribute to the memory of 
his departed friend in a discourse preached on 
the occasion of his death. In August, 1785, Mr. 
Fletcher departed this life in the most happy 
frame of mind. When articulation had become 
extremely difficult, he exclaimed : 

" Mercy's full power I soon shall prove. 
Loved with an everlasting love." 

" I was intimately acquainted with him," says 
Mr. Wesley, "for above thirty years; I con- 
versed with him morning, noon, and night, with- 
out the least reserve, during a journey of many 
hundred miles; and in all that time I never 
heard him speak one improper word, nor saw 
him do an improper action. Many exemplary 
men have I known, holy in heart and in life, 
within fourscore years, but one equal to him I 
have not known — one so inwardly and outwardly 



WESLEY OFFERING. 217 

devoted to God. So unblamable a character in 
every respect I have not found, either in Europe 
or America ; and I scarce expect to find another 
such on this side of eternity." 

Charles Wesley, the brother of John, died on 
the 29th of March, 1788, aged 79 years. He 
was blessed in his last hours, with solid hope and 
unshaken confidence in Grod. At his own desire 
he was buried in Maryenborn church-yard. The 
pall was supported by eight clergymen. On his 
tombstone are the following lines, written by 
himself on the death of one of his friends : 

" With poverty of spirit blest, 
Rest, happy saint, in Jesus rest ; 
A sinner saved, through grace forgiven, 
Redeemed from earth, to reign in heaven ! 
Thy labors of unwearied love, 
By thee forgot, are crowned above ; 
Crowned through the mercy of thy Lord, 
With a free, full, immense reward." 

Thus one after another did Wesley's com- 
panions in toil drop into the tomb by his side, 
and he was called to pronounce their funeral 
dirge. " It cannot be long," says he, " in the 
course of nature, before I shall follow." 

" My race of glory's run, and race of shame, 
And I shall shortly be with them at rest." 



218 WESLEY OFFERING. 

Still, he felt little of that decay and infirmity 
which are the usual accompaniments of extreme 
age, as is evident from the following entry in his 
journal. 

" Saturday, Jane 28th, 1788. I this day enter 
on my eighty-fifth year ; and what cause have I 
to praise Grod, as for a thousand spiritual bless- 
ings, so for bodily blessings also ! How little 
have I suffered yet, by * the rush of numerous 
years.' It is true I am not so agile as I was in 
times past. I do not run or walk as fast as I 
did ; my sight is a little decayed : my left eye is 
grown dim, and hardly serves me to read : I have 
daily some pain in the ball of my right eye, as 
also in my right temple (occasioned by a blow 
received some months since), and in my right 
shoulder and arm ; which I impute partly to a 
sprain, and partly to the rheumatism. I find 
likewise some decay in my memory, with regard 
to names and things lately past; but not at all 
with regard to what I have read or heard, twenty, 
forty, or sixty years ago : neither do I find any 
decay in my hearing, smell, taste, or appetite 
(though I want but a third part of the food I did 
once) : nor do I feel any such thing as weari- 



WESLEY OFFERING. 219 

ness, either in travelling or preaching ; and I am 
not conscious of any decay in writing sermons ; 
which I do as readily, and I believe, as correctly 
as ever. To what cause can I impute this, that 
I am as I am ? First, doubtless, to the power of 
Grod, fitting me for the work to which I am 
called, as long as he pleases to continue me 
therein ; and, next, subordinately to this, to the 
prayers of his children. 

" May we not impute it as inferior means — 1. To 
my constant exercise and change of air ? 2. To 
my never having lost a night's sleep, sick or 
well, at land or at sea, since I was born ? 3. To 
my having sleep at command ; so that, when- 
ever I feel myself almost worn out, I call it, and 
it comes day or night ? 4. To my having con- 
stantly, for above sixty years, risen at four in the 
morning ? o. To my constant preaching at five 
in the morning for above fifty years ? 6. To 
my having had so little pain in my life ; and so 
little sorrow or anxious care ? Even now, though 
I find daily, pain in my eye, or temple, or arm ; 
yet it is never violent, and seldom lasts many 
minutes at a time. Whether or not this is sent 
to give me warning that I am shortly to quit 



220 WESLEY OFFERING. 

this tabernacle, I do not know, but, be it one 
way or the other, I have only to say, 

' My remnant of days 

I spend to his praise 
Who died the whole world to redeem ; 

Be they many or few, 

My days are his due, 
And they all are devoted to him.' 

" I preached in the morning on Psalm xc. 12 ; 
in the evening on Acts xiii. 40, 41 ; and en- 
deavored to improve the hours between to the 
best advantage." 

Not only had Mr. Wesley outlived his com- 
peers, but also, most of the persecutions and 
prejudices, which met him at every step for 
more than thirty-years after commencing his 
course as a Reformer. He had been so long be- 
fore the public, without in the least deviating 
from the declared purpose of his life : his Chris- 
tian simplicity, — his untiring industry — his zeal, 
and benevolence — his disinterestedness, had been 
so consistently, and conspicuously displayed, that 
malice and hateful bigotry, and sensual infidelity 
were overawed in his presence, and even the 
proud and arrogant aristocracy of the national 



WESLEY OFFERING. 221 

ecclesiastical hierarchy, were constrained to treat 
him with courtesy. 

Fifty years previous to this, nearly every 
church in the kingdom was closed against him, 
and he was seldom allowed to preach in peace in 
a private room, or in the open field. But now the 
doors of the parish churches were almost every- 
where thrown open, and he had many more invi- 
tations to preach charity sermons than he could 
possibly accept ; and accustomed as he had been 
to see large assemblies, he was, nevertheless, 
often astonished at the multitudes of all classes 
who flocked to hear him. This marked change 
in the manifestations of public sentiment toward 
him, was doubtless somewhat gratifying, but we 
do not learn that it had the effect to inspire him 
with any other than a feeling of gratitude to 
Grod that he had dealt so mercifully with him, — 
that he had sustained him amid terrible opposi- 
tions, when the powers of hell were in league 
against him, — that he had so overruled the wrath 
of man as to make it an occasion of spreading 
the G-ospel, — that he had allowed him to see the 
triumph of truth over error, generosity over envy, 
and charity over bigotry, — and that he had made 



222 WESLEY OFFERING. 

even "his enemies to be at peace with him." 
This very desirable state of things continued to 
the close of his protracted and eventful life. As 
in the case of the German Reformer, though his 
life had been often menaced, yet the Providence 
of God guided him to a quiet and peaceful death. 

Mr. Wesley now felt that he held his life by a 
very slight and uncertain tenure; yet he was 
still anxious that every moment should be given 
to God. Jan. 1st, 1790, he says, " I am an old 
man, decayed from head to foot. My eyes are 
dim ; my right hand shakes much ; my mouth 
is hot and dry every morning ; I have a linger- 
ing fever almost every day ; my motion is weak 
and slow. However, blessed be God, I do not 
slack my labor ; I can preach and write still." 

On the 26th of the following April, he remarks, 
"I finished my sermon on the "Wedding Gar- 
ment, perhaps the last that I shall write. My 
eyes are now waxed dim ; my natural force is 
abated. However, while I can, I would fain do 
a little for God before I drop into the dust." 

These extracts show with what calmness he 
approached death, and how anxious he was that 
every power of his mind, during the few days 



WESLEY OFFERING. 223 

that remained to him, should be given to the 
cause of truth and righteousness. From this 
state of mind there was not the least variation 
at any time previous to his departure. 

Upon the 28th of June, he thus writes, "This 
day I enter into my eighty-eighth year. For 
nearly eighty-six years, I found none of the in- 
firmities of old age, — my eyes did not wax dim, 
neither was my natural strength abated. But 
last August, I found almost a sudden change, — 
my eyes were so dim that no glasses would help 
me ; my strength likewise quite forsook me, and 
probably will not return in this world. But I feel 
no pain, only it seems nature is exhausted, and, 
humanly speaking, will sink more and more, till 

' The weary springs of life stand still at last.' " 

This, in his case, as also in the death of his 
brother Charles, was literally true. A life of 
industry and usefulness, in which habits of tem- 
perance had been scrupulously observed, and the 
laws of health seldom, if ever violated, was re- 
warded with a serene and cheerful evening, and 
terminated without disease or pain, by a gentle 
decay of nature — 



224: WESLEY OFFERING, 

" As fades a summer cloud away, 
Or gently shuts the eye of day." 

February, 1791, he wrote his last counsels to 
his brethren in America. " See," said he, " that 
you never give place to one thought of separating 
from your brethren in Europe. Lose no oppor- 
tunity of declaring to all men that the Method- 
ists are one people in all the world, and that it 
is their full determination so to continue." 

Being conscious that his end was near, he 
says : " Those that desire to write, or say any- 
thing to me have no time to lose : time has 
shaken me by the hand, and death is not far 
behind" 

He still preached as usual, in different places 
in London and its vicinity, generally meeting 
the society after preaching in each place, and 
exhorting them to live as brethren, fear God, 
and honor the king, which he wished them to 
consider as his last advice. He then usually 
concluded the exercises with giving out the 
hymn commencing, 

" Shrinking from the cold hand of death," 

and embracing the following verse, which he 



WESLEY OFFERING. 225 

often repeated and sung, in the closing years of 
life: 

" that, -without a lingering groan, 
I may the welcome word receive, 
My body with my charge lay down, 
And cease at once to work and live." 

He proceeded in this way until the 17th, when 
he preached at Lambeth : but on his return, 
seemed much indisposed, and said he had taken 
cold. The next day, however, he read and wrote 
as usual ; and in the evening preached at Chel- 
sea, from " The King's business requires haste," 
— although with some difficulty, having a high 
degree of fever upon him. The next day, and 
the day following, he continued in his usual em- 
ployments, though, to those about him, his com- 
plaints seemed evidently increasing. The ensuing 
Sunday he rose early as usual, but seemed quite 
unfit for any of his Sabbath-day's exercises. At 
seven o'clock he was obliged to lie down, and 
slept between three and four hours. "When he 
awoke, he said, " I have not had such a com- 
fortable sleep this fortnight past." In the after- 
noon he lay down again, and slept an hour or 
two. Afterwards two of his own discourses 
on our Lord's Sermon on the Mount, were read 
15 



226 WESLEY OFFERING. 

to him ; and in the evening he came down to 
supper. 

Monday the 21st of February, he seemed 
much better ; and though his friends tried to dis- 
suade him from it, he would keep an engage- 
ment made some time before, to dine at Twick- 
enham. In his way thither, he called on Lady 
Mary Fitzgerald ; the conversation was truly 
profitable, and well became a last visit. On 
Tuesday, he went on with his usual work, 
preached in the evening at the chapel in City- 
Road, and seemed much better than he had been 
for several days. On Wednesday, he went to 
Leatherhead, and preached to a small company, 
on, " Seek ye the Lord while he may be found ; 
call ye upon him while he is near." This proved 
to be his last sermon ; here ended the public 
labors of this great minister of Jesus Christ. 

On Thursday, he visited Mr. Wolff's lovely 
family, from whence he returned on Friday, ex- 
tremely ill. His friends were struck with the 
manner of his getting out of the carriage, and 
still more when he went up stairs and sat down 
in his chair. He sent every one out of the room, 
and desired not to be interrupted for half an hour. 



WESLEY OFFERING. 227 

When that time was expired, some mulled wine 
was brought him, of which he drank a little. 
In a few minutes he threw it up, and said, "I 
must lie down." His friends were now alarmed, 
and the physician (Dr. Whitehead) was called in. 
On his entering the room, he said in a cheerful 
voice, " Doctor, they are more afraid than hurt." 
Most of this day he lay in bed, had a quick pulse, 
with a considerable degree of fever and stupor. 
The next day, he continued much in the same 
state : taking very little, either of medicine 
or nourishment. Sunday morning, he seemed 
better, got up, and took a cup of tea. Sitting in 
his chair, he looked quite cheerful, and repeated 
these words of his brother Charles : 

" Till glad I lay this body down, 
Thy servant, Lord, attend : 
And ! my life of mercy crown 

With a triumphant end !" 

Soon after, he emphatically said, " Our friend 
Lazarus sleepeth." Exerting himself to converse 
with some friends, he was soon fatigued, and 
obliged to lie down. After lying some time quiet, 
he looked up and said, " Speak to me, I cannot 
speak." On which one of the company said, 



228 WESLEY OFFEEING. 

" Shall we pray with yon, sir ?" He earnestly re- 
plied, " Yes." And while they prayed, his whole 
soul seemed engaged with God for an answer, 
and his hearty Amen, showed that he perfectly 
understood what was said. About half an hour 
after, he said, " There is no need of more ; when 
at Bristol, my words were, 

' I the chief of sinners am, 
But Jesus died for me.' " 

One said, " Is this the present language of your 
heart, and do you now feel as you did then ?" 
He replied, " Yes." When the same person re- 
peated, 

" Bold I approach the eternal throne, 
And claim the crown through Christ my own," 

and added, " 'Tis enough. He our precious 
Emanuel, has purchased, has promised all ;" he 
earnestly replied, " He is all ! He is all !" After 
this the fever was very high, and at times, affect- 
ed his head ; but even then, though his head 
was affected by a temporary derangement, his 
heart seemed wholly engaged in his Master's 
work. In the evening he got up again, and while 



WESLEY OFFERING. 229 

sitting in his chair, he said, " How necessary it 
is for every one to be upon the right foundation ! 

1 1 the chief of sinners am, 
But Jesus died for me !' 

We must be justified by faith; and then go 
on to perfection." On the next day he said, 
" There is no way into the holiest but by the 
blood of Jesus," and, referring to the text, " Ye 
know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that 
though he was rich, yet for our sakes he became 
poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich," 
he emphatically said, " That is the foundation, 
the only foundation, and there is no other." He 
also repeated three or four times in the space of 
a few hours, "We have boldness to enter into 
the holiest by the blood of Jesus." 

On the day before his death, after a very rest- 
less night, he began to sing : 

" All glory to God in the sky, 
And peace upon earth be restored ; 
Jesus exalted on high, 
Appear our omnipotent Lord! 
Who, meanly in Bethlehem born, 
Didst stoop to redeem a lost race, 
Once more to thy creatures return, 
And reign in thy kingdom of grace. 



230 WESLEY OFFERING. 

" wouldst thou again be made known; 
Aj*ain in thy Spirit descend, 
And set up in each of thine own 
A kingdom that never shall end. 
Thou only art able to bless, 
And make the glud nations obey, 
And bid the dire enmity cease, 
And bow the whole world to thy sway." 

Here his strength failed ; but after lying still 
awhile, he called for pen and ink. They were 
brought to him ; but his hand, which had been 
a means of conveying: comfort and instruction to 
thousands, could no longer perform its office. 
" Tell me," said one, " what you would say." 
" Nothing," answered he, " but that God is with 
us." In a little while he broke out, in a man- 
ner which, considering his extreme weakness, 
astonished all present, in these words: 

" I'll praise my Maker while I've breath, 
And, when my voice is lost in death, 
Praise shall employ* my nobler powers. 
My days of praise shall ne'er be past, 
While life, and thought, and being last, 
Or immortality endures. 

• " Happy the man whose hopes rely 
On Israel's God , he made the sky, 
And earth, and seas, with all their train; 
His truth forever stands secure ; 
He saves th' oppressed, he feeds the poor, 
And none shall find his promise vain." 



WESLEY OFFERING. 231 

During the same day when he appeared to 
change for death, he said with a weak voice, 
" Lord, thou givest strength to those that can 
speak, and to those that cannot. Speak", Lord, 
to all our hearts, and let them know that thou 
loosest the tongue." He then sung: 

" To Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, 

Who sweetly all agree." 

Here his voice failed. After gasping for breath, 
he said, " Now we have done all." He was then 
laid in the bed, from which he rose no more. 
After resting a little, he called to those who were 
with him, " to pray and praise." They kneeled 
down, and the room seemed to be filled with the 
divine presence. His whole soul seemed to be 
engaged, and showed how ardently he longed 
for the full accomplishment of their united de- 
sires. And when one of the preachers was pray- 
ing in a very expressive manner, that if God 
were about to take away their father to his eter- 
nal rest, he would be pleased to continue and 
increase his blessing upon the doctrine and dis- 
cipline which he had long made his servant the 
means of propagating and establishing in the 
world ; such a degree of fervor accompanied his 



232 WESLEY OFFERING. 

loud amen, as was every way expressive of the 
interest he felt in the object of the petition. 

On rising from their knees, he took the hand 
of each, and with the utmost placidness saluted 
them and said, " Farewell, farewell." 

A little after, a person coming in, he strove to 
speak, hut could not. Finding they could not 
understand him, he paused a little, and then, 
with all the remaining strength he had, cried 
out, " The best of all is, God is with us ;" and 
soon after, lifting up his dying arm in token of 
victory, and raising his feeble voice with a holy 
triumph, not to be expressed, he again repeated 
the heart-reviving words, " The best of all is, God 
is with us" Being told that his brother's widow 
was come, he said, "He giveth his servants 
rest." He thanked her as she pressed his hand, 
and affectionately endeavored to kiss her. On 
wetting his lipt^ he said, "We thank thee, O 
Lord, for these, and all thy mercies : bless the 
Church and king ; and grant us truth and peace, 
through Jesus Christ our Lord, forever and ever." 
At another time he said, " He causeth his ser- 
vants to lie down in peace." Then, pausing a 
little, he cried, " The clouds drop fatness !" and 



WESLEY OFFERING. 233 

soon after, " The Lord is with us, the Grod of 
Jacob is our refuge." He then called those 
present to prayer ; and though he was greatly- 
exhausted, he appeared still more fervent in 
spirit. These exertions were, however, too much 
for his feeble frame ; and most of the night fol- 
lowing, though he often attempted to repeat the 
Psalm before mentioned, he could only utter — 
<: I'll praise — 1*11 praise." 

On "Wednesday morning the closing scene drew 
near. Mr. Bradford, his faithful friend, prayed 
with him : and the last words he was heard to 
articulate were, " Farewell." A few minutes 
before ten, while several friends were kneeling 
around his bed, without a sigh or groan this man 
of Grod, this beloved pastor of thousands, entered 
into the joy of his Lord. 

He was in the eighty-eighth year of his age, 
and had been sixty-five years in the ministry. 
His death was an admirable close of a protracted, 
eventful, and highly useful life. 

At the desire of many of his friends, his 
corpse was placed in the New Chapel, and re- 
mained there the day before his interment. His 
face during that time had a heavenly smile upon 



234 WESLE5T OFFERING. 

it, and a beauty which was admired by all that 
saw it. The crowds that went to see him was 
so great, that business was generally suspended 
in the City Road, and it was with great difficulty 
that any carriage could pass. His funeral took 
place early in the morning, lest any accident 
should occur in consequence of the vast concourse 
of people which was otherwise expected to attend. 
The sermon for the occasion was preached by 
Dr. Whitehead, who subsequently became his 
biographer ; and. the Reverend Mr. Richardson, 
who now lies with him in the same vault, read 
the burial service. When, at the grave-side, he 
pronounced the words, " Forasmuch as it hath 
pleased Almighty God to take unto himself the 
soul of our dear father, now departed," the peo- 
ple, who nearly filled the burying-ground, burst 
into loud weeping ; and it is believed that scarcely 
a dry eye was to be seen in the entire assembly. 
When the funeral sermon was preached, the 
men occupied the floor of the City Road Chapel, 
and the women the gallery; and, with one soli- 
tary exception, it is said, that not a colored 
riband was to be seen in the vast congregation. 
One lady, with a blue riband on her beaver hat, 



WESLEY OFFERING. 235 

found her way into the gallery ; and, on observ- 
ing her singularity, she instantly tore it from 
her head, and thus assumed the garb of mourn- 
ing with the rest of the people. 

The following is the inscription upon Mr. 
Wesley's tomb : 

TO THE MEMORY OF 

THE VENERABLE JOHN WESLEY, A. M., 

LATE FELLOW OF LINCOLN COLLEGE, OXFORD. 

This great Light arose. 
By the singular providence of God, 

to enlighten these Nations, 

and to revive, enforce, and defend 

the pure apostolical doctrines and practices of the 

Primitive Church ; 

which he continued to do. both by his writing and his labors, 

for more than half a century; 

and, to his inexpressible joy, 

not only beheld their influence extending 

and their efficacy witnessed 

in the hearts and lives of many thousands, 

as well in the Western World, as in these kingdoms; 

but also, far above all human power or expectation, 

lived to see provision made, 

by the singular grace of God, 

for their continuance and establishment, 

to the joy of future generations ! 

Reader, if thou art constrained to bless the instrument, 

give God the glory ! 

After having languished a few days, he at length finished his 

course 

and his life together, 

gloriously triumphing over death, 

March 2d, An Dom. 1791, 
in the eighty-eighth year of his age. 



236 WESLEY OFFERING. 

The following epitaph, by another author, is 
inscribed upon a marble tablet in the City lioad 
Chapel : — 

" The best of all is, God is with us." 

SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF 

THE REV. JOHN WESLEY, M. A., 

SOMETIME FELLOW OF LINCOLN COLLEGE, OXFORD. 

A man, in learning and sincere piety, 

scarcely inferior to any ; 

In zeal, ministerial labors, and extensive usefulness, 

superior, perhaps, to all men. since the days of St. Paul. 

Regardless of fatigue, personal danger, and disgrace, 

he went out into the highways and hedges, 

calling sinners to repentance, 

and publishing the gospel of peace. 

He was the Founder of the Methodist societies, 

and the chief promoter and patron 

of the plan of Itinerant preaching, 

which he extended through Great Britain and Ireland, 

the West Indies, and America, with unexampled success. 

He was born the xvii of June. MDCCI1I, 

and died the ii of March, MDCCXCI, 

in sure and certain hope of eternal life, 

through the Atonement and Mediation of 

a Crucified Saviour. 

He was sixty-five years in the ministry, 

and fifty-two an Itinerant Preacher; 

He lived to see, in these kingdoms only, 

about three hundred Itinerant, 

and one thousand Local Preachers, 

raised up from the midst of his own people, 

and eighty thousand persons in the societies under his care. 

His name will be ever had in grateful remembrance 

by all who rejoice in the universal spread 

of the Gospel of Christ. 

Soli Deo Gloria. 



WESLEY OFFERING. 237 

The death of Mr. "Wesley attracted the public 
notice beyond any former example, perhaps, of a 
clergyman, however dignified. It being gener- 
ally known that he died as he had lived, and 
evinced in death the uprightness and integrity 
of his life, the impression on the public mind in 
favor of his character and of Methodism, was 
almost universal : so that some persons said, 
" Mr. Wesley will do more good by his death, 
than he did in his whole life." Many strong pre- 
judices which had been cherished for a series of 
years, gave wa} r as this Right Reverend Father 
in God, in peace with Grod and all mankind, and 
with joyful assurance of endless felicity, took his 
leave of time and toil, and received at the hand 
of his approving Master, the Crow t n of Rejoic- 
ing. 

With abundant opportunity to amass an ample 
fortune, he died poor, leaving very little business 
to be settled by his executors. Among the pro- 
visions of his will, we find the following: "I 
give £6, to be divided among the six poor men, 
named by the Assistant, who shall carry my body 
to the grave ; for I particularly desire there may 
be no hearse, no coach, no escutcheon, no pomp, 



238 WESLEY OFFERING. 

except the tears of them that loved me, and are 
following me to Abraham's bosom. I solemnly 
adjure my executors in the name of Grod, punc- 
tually to observe this." 

<: Servant of God, well done ! Well hast thou fought 
The better fight ; who single hast maintained, 
Against revolted multitudes, the cause 
Of God; in word mightier than they in arms." 



CHAPTER IX. 

Some angel guide my pencil while I draw, 
What nothing less than angel c.in exceed : 
A man on earth devote.d to the skies. — Young. 

He was a man, take him for all in all, 

I shall not look upon his like again. — Shaks. Hamlet. 

The character of John "Wesley is a subject for 
a philosopher. Yet the philosophic mind, strong 
and accurate in perception and penetration, will 
fail to comprehend and appreciate his character 
and motives unless it acts with the advantage of 
Christian faith, and is baptized with the spirit 
and zeal of true religion. The want of these ad- 
vantages has occasioned many misapprehensions 
on the part of some, who, for various purposes, 
mostly sectarian and selfish, have recorded their 
judgment of Wesley, as a man, a Christian, and 
a Divine. Perhaps, constituted as the world is, 
it is not to be expected that perfect justice will 
be done the memory of those whose whole life 
has been a standing reproof to infidelity, irreligion 



240 WESLEY OFFEEING. 

and superficial Christianity. Men must under- 
stand something of the moving motives of the 
Christian religion by experience, before they can 
properly estimate the character and aims of one 
who, during a long life, held the flattery and 
frowns of the world in equal disregard, and seem- 
ed only intent upon saving souls. 

'■ Happy, if with his latest breath, 
He might but gasp his name, 
Preach him to all, and cry in death, 
Behold ! behold ! the Lamb." 

If the mind be poisoned by skepticism, or re- 
ligious bigotry, or rendered barren of Christian 
sympathies by the spirit of a wicked and selfish 
world, there can be no just appreciation of the 
feelings and motives of the zealous, ardent, self- 
sacrificing Christian, who, like Paul, glories in 
nothing, "Save in the cross of our Lord Jesus 
Christ." It is to this ignorance of the Christian 
spirit, and of the power of Christian motives 
rather than to any unworthy intention, that we 
attribute the numerous errors and misapprehen- 
sions which occur in the life of Wesley, as writ- 
ten by Dr. Southey, and the consequent injustice 
done by him to the reputation of that pre-emi- 



WESLEY OFFERING. 241 

nently holy and useful man of God, Southey 
was incapable of correct judgment upon the sub- 
jects of which he wrote. He was accustomed 
to look at society only in its corrupt and selfish 
state ; and his judgment of the possible purity and 
perfection of man was formed from his observa- 
tion of the general practice of men in social and 
public life. As he saw men generally acting 
from interested and selfish motives, he concluded, 
without due credit for the influence of the Gos- 
pel upon the heart and life, that nothing above 
this could be predicated of humanity; and upon 
this narrow and essentially defective view of the 
present relations and susceptibilities of man, his 
opinions of the motives and conduct of Wesley 
were formed. As a matter of course, he was 
not unfrequently held up to public view in no 
very enviable light. Had Southey himself been 
anything more than a caterer to a vicious public 
taste — had his mind been unbiasedby a vain and 
skeptical philosophy — had he known anything 
of the constraining love of Christ. — had his own 
aims been pure and unselfish, he would not have 
found it so difficult to allow purity and disinter- 
estedness in others. 

16 



242 WESLEY OFFERING. 

There is much truth in what is said by Macau- 
lay, though perhaps it is said with undue se- 
verity, viz., that Southey " possesses two facul- 
ties, which were never vouchsafed in measure 
so copious to any human being : the faculty of 
believing without a reason, and the faculty of 
hating without a provocation." " In the mind 
of Southey," says he, " reason has no place at 
all, as either leader or follower, either sovereign 
or slave. He does not seem to know what an 
argument is. He never uses arguments himself. 
He never troubles himself to answer the argu- 
ments of his opponents." And yet he thinks 
Southey's Life of Wesley will live, because it is 
a "popular account of a most remarkable moral 
revolution, and of a man whose eloquence and 
logical acuteness might have rendered him emi- 
nent in literature, whose genius in government 
was not inferior to that of Richelieu, and who, 
whatever his errors may have been, devoted all 
his powers, in defiance of obloquy and derision, 
to what he sincerely considered as the highest 
good of his species." 

Time has already corrected many, and will ul- 
timately correct all the material mistakes and 



WESLEY OFFERING. 243 

misrepresentations into which the interested, 
bigoted, and malicious have been led, in forming 
their estimate of the character and career of 
Wesley. 

To do full justice to the character of this man 
of Grod would require an ample volume. His 
powers as a man, his attainments as a scholar, 
and his experience and usefulness as a Christian, 
present him to us in so many and interesting 
points of light, that we cannot, in the space al- 
lowed us, do more than briefly touch the numer- 
ous and varied topics embraced in the subject. 

The portraits of Mr. Wesley are so common 
and accurate, that little need be said as to his 
personal appearance. One fact may not be gen- 
erally known, viz., that his size, or stature, was 
less than ordinary : and though he endured an 
amount of labor for sixty years, which has rarely 
if ever been equalled by a human being, yet his 
physical constitution was not, in youth, consid- 
ered firm. It became so in after years, under 
the regular and temperate habits he adopted 
and maintained through life. Though his fea- 
tures were not remarkable for beauty, yet there 
was a general perfection of symmetry and con- 



244 WESLEY OFFERING. 

tour which was at least agreeable : while tha 
freshness so peculiar to the English countenance, 
and so grateful to the eye, combined with his 
mild, benignant, and intellectual expression, 
gave him a decided advantage, and seldom failed 
to prepossess the mind of the stranger. His 
manners were easy, and his bearing dignified. 
Intellectually and educationally, Mr. "Wesley was 
a great man. 

We are aware that a variety of conflicting 
opinions are entertained on what constitutes true 
greatness, yet there are certain outlines in which 
all must agree as a starting-point. True great- 
ness does not consist in the remarkable develop- 
ment of any one trait of the human mind or 
character ; but in the harmonious combination 
of all those attributes which prepare for useful- 
ness, dignify and adorn. A man may be highly 
distinguished for a particular element of charac- 
ter — he may excel in the development of some 
mental and moral equality, and yet be far from 
sustaining a claim to true greatness. A great 
orator is not a great man ; he is only a great 
orator. If he is distinguished for nothing but his 
oratory, he has potency without utility ; he is a 



WESLEY OFFERING. 245 

blind Cyclop with a fearful power. Nor is the 
great general necessarily a great man ; he may 
use his general-hip to gratify a private ambifirn, 
he may be regardless of the principles of justice, 
reckless of human life, and only actuated by an 
insatiable thirst for conquest. 

So also the great statesman : he may perfectly 
understand the principles of his own govern- 
ment, and those of other countries; he may be 
able to detect the faults of all governments, be 
acquainted with the means of national prosperity, 
and the causes of national overthrow, and yet be 
far less than the great man, because destitute of 
patriotism, or so selfish, or bound by the chains of 
party, as to act without independence, or act only 
for party purposes, or personal aggrandizement. 

High intellectual endowments, and extensive, 
and varied literary acquirements are not always 
associated with true greatness. There may be, 
and often is knowledge without wisdom ; the 
mind may be so inflated with pride and vanity, 
that the dignity of the scholar is lost in the os- 
tentation of the pedant. Besides, whatever the 
polish of the mind the moral powers may remain 
uncultivated. The character is distorted, be- 



246 WESLEY OFFERING. 

cause the regulating influence of moral principle 
is wanting. Such an one may possess the ele- 
ments of a great man, but they have not been 
rightly expanded : the foundation may have been 
laid in natural endowments, but the parts have 
not preserved a just proportion in development, 
and the symmetry and beauty of the superstruc- 
ture are wanting. No one ability, mental or 
moral, natural or acquired, can exalt a man to 
true greatness, however much he may shine in 
its display. 

The page of history is loaded with the names 
of those who have made grand exhibitions of 
particular traits of character, but who have in 
other respects given abundant proof of weakness, 
mental and moral eccentricity and obliquity 
which have rendered them contemptible in the 
eyes of posterity. Thousands have entered the 
lists and contended for the prize, but very few 
have borne away the palm of victory. The great 
man possesses a well-balanced character. To a 
rich duster of natural endowments, he adds 
those acquirements which serve to unfold his 
powers for practical purposes. No one charac- 
teristic is greatly predominant over the rest, but 



WESLEY OFFERING. 247 

a just proportion and beautiful harmony is main- 
tained among the whule. His mental and moral 
powers are cultivated with equal success. He 
has wisdom as well as knowledge, without which, 
knowledge would be useless, or, what is still 
'Worse, would only make him the more capable of 
evil. He is a great man, not because he is re- 
markable for any one endowment, but because 
he possesses them all in a high state of cultiva- 
tion. 

Among these may be no stars of primary 
magnitude, yet there is a glorious constellation 
of the powers, virtues, and graces which adorn 
the human character. He has a strong mind, a 
discriminating judgment, a clear perception, a 
correct taste. His heart dilates with affection, 
his bosom burns with patriotism ; he is simple 
without weakness, brave without rashness, gen- 
erous without prodigality, dignified without 
ostentation ; he is a gentleman, a scholar, a 
patriot, and a Christian. To this last trait 
much importance is to be attached. It is dif- 
ficult to conceive of a great man who is not 
also a good man : and by a good man we mean 
one who has a profound reverence for the Chris- 



248 WESLEY OFFERING. 

tian religion, and a just sense of his obligations 
to God : one whose character is well guarded by 
mora! principle, who acts for the best good of his 
fellow-men, and in view of the retributions of 
eternity. It cannot be too distinctly asserted, 
that "to be great is to be good." Such is the 
great man : and such an one will be great every- 
where, at all times, and under all circumstances. 
He possesses such power of adaptation, that he 
is seldom or never surprised by events he is un- 
prepared to meet. He is great in peace, and 
great in war, great in the cabinet, and in the 
field ; at home and abroad, in public and in pri- 
vate, he is great: he is great while living, and 
continues to wield an influence when his tongue 
is silent in death. 

And such a man was Mr. John Wesley. "We 
do not pretend that his intellect was of the very 
highest order, or that he was entirely free from 
every kind of defect. This is more than can be 
claimed for any merely human being. Yet few 
have equalled him in the possession, and combi- 
nation of natural and acquired abilities. His 
mind was quite above the ordinary grade, and 
so evenly balanced as to exclude all eccentricity. 



WESLEY OFFEBING. 249 

There was a fulness, or rotundity in his capacity 
rarely to be met with. His apprehension was 
clear, his penetration quick, and his judgment, 
if not infaliable, was nicely discriminative and 
sound. The processes of a logical argument 
were conducted with the utmost ease: the lurk- 
ing sophism was detected when most men would 
have passed it unnoticed. And his corollaries 
were seldom, if ever, defective. Finer examples 
of the application of the principles of logic, will 
hardly be found in any English author, than 
may be seen in his controversial works. 

As a scholar, his position was conspicuous. 
He was an acknowledged critic in the Latin and 
Greek classics ; and was well acquainted with 
Hebrew, as well as with most of the Euro- 
pean languages now in use. But the Greek was 
his favorite language, in which his knowledge 
was extensive and accurate. He published 
grammars of five different languages, in most 
of which he wrote and conversed fluently, and 
when circumstances called for it, performed pub- 
lic service. He was familiar with the field of 
natural philosophy, though a determined op- 
poser of the infidel speculations of philosophers 



250 WESLEY OFFERING. 

by which God is excluded from the supervision 
and government of the universe he has created. 
In mathematics, he had studied Euclid, Keil, Sir 
Isaac Newton's optics, &c. &c, though he did 
not spend much time upon the abstruse and 
higher branches of that science. His scientific 
attainments were exceedingly varied : his knowl- 
edge in all the branches usually taught and 
studied, was at least respectable ; in many, pro- 
found. In a word, as a man of deep, sound, 
varied, and sanctified learning, he has had few 
equals ; superiors, perhaps, none. 

As a writer, Mr. Wesley may be held up as 
a model deservedly worthy of imitation. He 
gave much attention to the rules of correct com- 
position when young, and before he knew to what 
important uses his pen would be devoted. His 
subsequent practice made him perfectly master 
of the art ; and the service he did to the cause of 
truth and piety by his numerous publications, 
controversial and practical, was scarcely less than 
that effected hy his personal influence as a preach- 
er and pastor. In one respect it has been vastly 
more. His personal influence ceased with his 
natural life, but as long as purity, propriety, pre- 



LESLEY OFFERING. 251 

cision and simplicity are admired as characteris- 
tics of a good style, his writings will be read as 
models of perfection in English composition; and 
so long as men love truth more than error, and 
relish the logical and moral force of an argument 
which vindicates and gives triumph to the one, 
while it refutes and covers the other with dis- 
grace — above all, while men love experimental 
religion and Bible holiness, and take pleasure in 
the perusal of discourses and essays which illus- 
trate and enforce these subjects with rare power 
and beauty, the sermons and other writings of 
John Wesley will live, be read, and highly prized 
by successive generations of Christians. 

He did not write for fame, and yet in this re- 
spect he has gained what was unsought. Con- 
tent with doing good, he used no trappings mere- 
ly to please or to gain applause. " The distin- 
guishing character of his style is brevity and per- 
spicuity. He never lost sight of the rule which 
Horace gives." 

' ' Est brevitate opus, ut currat sententia. neu se 
Impediab verbis lassas oneranlibus awes." 

TRANSLATION. 

" Concise your diction let your sense be clear, 
Nor with a weight of words fatigue the ear." 



252 WESLEY OFFERING. 

His words were well chosen, expressive, precise ; 
his sentences commonly marked by clearness, 
unity, and strength. In every case the aim is 
apparent; it is to convince, instruct, and save. 

As a Poet, Mr. Wesley is also entitled to no- 
tice. The talent for poetry seems to have been 
quite natural to the family, for several genera- 
tions, and quite a number of respectable speci- 
mens from different members of it, are preserved. 
The father of Mr. "Wesley was considerably gifted 
in this way, and much that he has written will 
pass for good poetry, in spite of criticism. He 
possessed a vein of satire which he sometimes 
used in his poetic effusions with good effect. The 
following is an amusing example. 

Having dined in company with several others, 
at the house of a gentleman, noted for his avarice, 
he was invited to return thanks for the refresh- 
ment. Instead of using a form composed for 
such occasions, he delivered himself impromptu 
in the following lines: 



Thanks for this feast, for 'tis no less 
Than eating manna in the wilderness, 
Here meagre, famine bears controlless sway, 
And ever drives each fainting wretch away; 



WESLEY OFFERING. 253 

Yet here (0 how beyond a saint's belief,) 
We've known the glories of a chine of beef. 
Here chimneys smoke which never smoked before, 
And we have dined, where we shall dine no more." 

We are bound to suppose his object was to ad- 
minister a wholesome reproof rather than create 
amusement. 

But Mr. Charles Wesley, the brother of John, 
seemed to have most favor with the Muses. The 
most of his poetry is decidedly good. It is prin- 
cipally devotional, and founded on passages of 
the Word of God. Most of the liymns sung in 
the Methodist congregations throughout the 
world, were composed by him. In some respects 
he was inferior to Watts, but in others decidedly 
superior. He occasionally wrote on other than 
sacred subjects. He concludes a piece, on "A 
Man of Fashion," in the following lines : — 

" The great his oracles he makes, 
Copies their vices and mistakes ; 
Custom pursues, his only rule, 
And lives an ape, and dies a fool." 

A few days before he died, having been silent 
for some time, he called Mrs. Wesley to him, 
and dictated to her the following lines : — 



254 WESLEY OFFERING. 

<; In age and feebleness extreme, 
Who shall a sinful worm redeem 1 
Jesus, my only hope thou art, 
Strength of my failing flesh and heart; 
! could I catch a smile from thee, 
And drop into eternity I"* 

John "Wesley gave less attention to poetry 
than his brother, and as a poet, does not rank as 
high. Yet he is inferior, perhaps, only in a sin- 
gle particular. There is in his poetic composi- 
tions less vivacity — less that is inspiring — soul- 
stirring. Yet even in this he sometimes excelled, 
as, for instance, in the hymn commencing, 

" How happy is the pilgrim's lot; 
How free from every anxious thought." 

One whose treasure is laid up in heaven, can 
hardly read this hymn without catching the in- 
spiration of the theme. Especially when he 
comes to the place where the poet seems to com- 
mand a faith which pierces the veil, and cries 
out, 

" There is my house and portion fair; 
My treasure and my heart are there, 
And my abiding home," 

he will feel, like Paul, a desire to "depart and 

be with Christ." 

* See Appendix. 



WESLEY OFFERING. 255 

As another specimen of soul-moving poetry, 
take the hymn commencing, 

"I thirst, thou wounded lamb of God, 
To wash me in thy cleansing blood; 
To dwell within thy wounds; there pain 
Is sweet, and life or death is gain." 

Mark the last verse, — 

" Hence our hearts melt, our eyes o'erflow, 
Our words are lost, nor will we know, 
Nor will we think of aught beside, — 
My Lord, my Love, is crucified." 

As another example still, we may select the 
825th hymn of the Methodist Collection : — 

" thou, to whose all-searching sight, 
The darkness shineth as the light, 
Search, prove my heart, it pants for thee; 
burst these bonds and set it free." 

For this essential element of poetry, however, 
he fell below the standard of perfection main- 
tained by his brother Charles. Yet as a poet he 
is respectable, to say the least, and his hymns 
will be sung by the pious as long as the genera- 
tion of the righteous remains. "We must also 
dwell a moment upon the character of Wesley 

As a Preacher. — He wrote more or less upon 



256 WESLEY OFFERING. 

every topic he discussed in the pulpit, and hefore 
he died, published one hundred and fifty of his 
sermons; yet after he commenced his itinerant 
career, he seldom preached from notes. Usually, 
his sermons were strictly extemporaneous. By 
constant practice, this method of preaching be- 
came perfectly easy ; and he could deliver a ser- 
mon without the labor of committing it to paper, 
with as little effort and embarrassment as he 
would experience in conversation with a friend. 
His experience in religion being deep and spirit- 
ual, his knowledge of human nature profound, 
his acquaintance with books extensive, his famil- 
iarity with the word of Grod perfect, and his 
comprehension of theology, in all its branches, 
systematic and thorough, he was always ready, 
upon short notice, to discuss any point within 
the range of subjects appropriate for the pulpit. 
If his sermons were not always masterly, they 
possessed certain traits of excellence so peculiar, 
that none but a master could have preached 
them. 

He was not a Boanerges; his eloquence was 
not of the thundering description, — he did not 
take his audiences by storm, as Whitefield swne- 



WESLEY OFFERING. . 257 

times did. His elocution was more like that 
which Homer ascribes to Ulysses : — 

" When he speaks. what elocution flows, 
Soft as the fleeces of descending snows." 

In his pulpit exercises he had but one object 
in view ; to win souls to Christ, and build them 
up in holiness. His subjects were all chosen 
with reference to this end, and his mode of ad- 
dress had no other aim. Everything foreign to 
this object was of set purpose avoided. Nothing 
fanciful, or intended merely for display, was ever 
indulged in. He sought only to convince the 
judgment, affect the heart, and reform the life, 
and his manner was adapted directly to this pur- 
pose. " His attitude was graceful and easy ; 
his action calm and natural, yet pleasing and ex- 
pressive : his voice not loud, but clear and man- 
ly ; his style neat, simple, and perspicuous, and 
admirably suited to the capacity of his hearers." 
He at once convinced his audience of his entire 
sincerity, and found little difficulty in holding 
the attention of the rudest multitude. 

As a Christian, his experience was deep and 
uniform. Grace held a pleasing sway over every 
faculty of the soul, every affection of the heart. 
11 



258 WESLEY OFFERING. 

He was equally free from moping melancholy, 
and undignified levity. His spirit was ever 
bright, and buoyant with Christian cheerfulness. 

The Bible was his text-book — the man of his 
counsel in all things relating to religious doc- 
trine and practice. He received its teachings 
with unqualified confidence. He regarded it as 
the infallible standard of truth — the end of con- 
troversy ; and placed little reliance upon any 
conclusions not sanctioned by its teachings. His 
discourses were always enriched by its precious 
words. Always and everywhere he was " homo 
unius UbriP 

He was a great lover of plain-dealing ; open 
rebuke was prized more highly than secret love. 
As he was never offended at being told honestly 
and plainly by others what they supposed to be 
his faults, so he conscientiously endeavored to 
fulfil the apostolic injunction, " Reprove, rebuke, 
exhort, with all long-suffering and doctrine." 
And in this he was no respecter of persons. In- 
deed, the more friendship he experienced from 
individuals, the stronger did he feel the obliga- 
tion to point out to them the sins which were 
likely to prove their ruin. 



WESLEY OFFERING. 2o9 

He was honored with the friendship of a 
wealthy and distinguished Baronet; he repaid 
his kindness by writing an affectionate and ad- 
monitory letter, of which the following is an ex- 
tract : " You are on the borders of the grave, as 
well as I. Shortly we must both appear before 
God. When it seemed to me some months since, 
that my life was near an end, I was troubled 
that I had not dealt plainly with you. This you 
will allow me to do now, without any reserve, in 
the fear and in the presence of God. I reverence 
you for your office as a magistrate. I believe 
you to be an honest, upright man ; I love you for 
having protected an innocent people from their 
cruel and lawless oppressors : but so much the 
more am I obliged to say (though I judge not, 
God is the Judge), I fear you are covetous ; that 
you love the world : and if you do, as sure as the 
word of God is true, you are not in a state of 
salvation. I must once more earnestly entreat 
you to consider yourself, and God, and eternity. 
As to yourself, you are not the proprietor of any- 
thing, no, not of one shilling in the world. You 
are only a steward of what another intrusts you 
with, to be laid out not according to your will, 



260 WESLEY OFFERING. 

but his. And what would you think of your 
steward, if he laid out what is called your money 
according to his own will and pleasure ? Is not 
God the sole proprietor of all things ? And are 
not you to give an account to him for every part 
of his goods ? And 0, how dreadful an account 
if you have expended any part of them, not ac- 
cording to his will, but your own? Is not death 
at hand ? And are not you and I, just stepping 
into eternity ? Are we not just going to appear 
in the presence of God, and that naked of all 
worldly goods ? Will you then rejoice in the 
money you have left behind you ? Or in that 
you have given to support a family, as it is 
called ? that is, in truth, to support the pride, 
and vanity, and luxury which you have yourself 
despised all your life long ? sir, I beseech 
you, for the sake of God, for the sake of your 
own immortal soul, examine yourself whether 
you do not love money ! If so, you cannot love 
God. And if we die without the fear of God, 
what remains ? Only to be banished from him, 
forever and ever." 

Another instance may be found in a letter he 
addressed to one of his preachers. 



WESLEY OFFERING. 261 

" Dear S.," says he, " you know that I love 
you ; ever since I knew you, I have neglected no 
opportunity of showing it, that was in my power. 
And you know I esteem you for your zeal and ac- 
tivity, for your love of discipline, and for your 
gifts which God has given you ; particularly, 
quickness of apprehension, and readiness of utter- 
ance, especially in preaching and prayer. 

" Therefore I am jealous over you, lest you 
should lose any of the things you have gained, 
and not receive a fall reward ; and the more so, 
because I fear you are wanting in other respects. 
And who will venture to tell you so ? You will 
scarce know how to bear it from me, unless you 
lift up your heart to God. If you do this, I may 
venture to tell you what I fear, without any 
further preface. I fear you think of yourself 
more highly than you ought to think. Do you 
not think too highly of your own understanding? 
of your gifts ? particularly in preaching, as if you 
were the very best preacher in the connection? 
of your own importance ? as if the work of God 
here or there depended wholly, or mainly on you ? 
and of your popularity ? which I have found to my 
surprise far less, even in L — , than I expected. 



262 WESLEY OFFERING. 

" May not this be much owing to your want 
of brotherly love ? With what measure you 
mete, men will measure to you again. I fear 
there is something unloving in your spirit ; some- 
thing not only of roughness, but of harshness, 
yea of sourness ! . . . . 

" I am afraid lest your want of love to your 
neighbors should spring from your want of love 
to Grod; from want of thankfulness. I have 
sometimes heard you speak, in a manner that 
made me tremble ; indeed, in terms that not only 
a weak Christian, but even a serious deist would 
scruple to use. 

" I fear you greatly want evenness of temper. 
Are you not generally, too high, or too low ? 
Are not all your passions too lively ? your anger 
in particular ? Is it not too soon raised ? and is 
it not often too impetuous ? causing you to be 
violent, boisterous, — bearing down all before you ? 

" Now — lift up your heart to Grod, or you will 
be angry at me. But I must go a little further. 
I fear you are greatly wanting in the govern- 
ment of your tongue. You are not exact in re- 
lating facts. I have observed it myself. You 
are apt to amplify ; to enlarge a little beyond 



WESLEY OFFERING, 263 

the truth. You cannot imagine, if others ob- 
serve this how it will affect your reputation. 

" But I fear you are more wanting in another 
respect, that you give a loose to your tongue 
when you are angry ; that your language then, 
is not only sharp, but coarse, and ill-bred — if 
this be so, the people will not bear it. They 
will not take it either from you or from me, &c." 

In this kind and plain manner did he reveal 
to his most intimate friends, their faults. He 
seldom lost a friend by his frankness, while he 
secured the unlimited confidence of many. 

His Catholicity, was another marked feature 
of his Christian character. Few minds have 
been more entirely free from sectarian bigotry. 
In this respect he excelled his brother Charles ; 
and Mr. Whitefield was far less catholic in his 
feelings. And this is the more remarkable, from 
the fact that he had been trained in that school 
of religious bigotry, the high-church portion of 
the national establishment. Yet, as he grew up 
to manhood, his mind broke the shackles which 
have cramped the genius, and limited the use- 
fulness of so many thousands, and he claimed as 
his brother Christian every true lover of the 



264 WESLEY OFFERING. 

Lord Jesus Christ, whatever their name, or de 
nominational distinctions. " The world was his 
parish," and he never allowed prejudice or big- 
otry to exclude him from any part of it to which 
he might have access. "What he contended for, 
was truth and holiness, and in consistency with 
them, his charity and fellowship were co-exten- 
sive with the family of Christians. He had an 
eye to see, and a heart to love the virtues of the 
papist, as well as the piety of the churchman ; 
and he did not scruple to recommend the peru- 
sal of books which he deemed useful, by whom- 
soever written. 

To all who professed the Christian name, his 
language was, " If thy heart be right with my 
heart, as my heart is with thy heart, give me 
thy hand." And by this he did not mean an in- 
difference to all opinions. " This," says he, " is 
the spawn of hell, not the offspring of heaven. 
This unsettledness of thought, this being ' driven 
to and fro, and tossed about with every wind of 
doctrine,' is a great curse, not a blessing ; an 
irreconcilable enemy to true Catholicism." His 
meaning was this : if you love Grod, if you love 
the Lord Jesus Christ, if you love your neighbor 



WESLEY OFFERING. 265 

as yourself, if you have given your heart to God, 
and Christ is revealed in you the hope of glory, 
if you possess the faith which works by love and 
purifies the heart, I ask not in what points you 
may differ from me in opinion ; being agreed in 
these respects, " give me thy hand." This 
spirit he diffused among his people, and it is 
chiefly owing to the blessing of God upon his 
example and teaching, that to the present time, 
they are cursed with less sectarian bigotry and 
denominational exclusiveness, than any other 
principal branch of the Christian Church. 

Our sketch of the character of "Wesley would 
be essentially defective, should we omit to speak 
of him as a Philanthropist. This is a shining 
trait among the cluster of excellencies which 
shed their glory on his name and memory. He 
was a great lover of mankind. An important 
and principal theme of pulpit discourse, with 
him, was, " Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thy- 
self." Not like Plato and his followers, did he 
despise and denounce the body as an enemy to 
the soul ; he loved body and soul, according to 
their relative importance, and bestowed due 
honor upon each. Proof of this is seen in the 



266 WESLEY OFFERING. 

care he took of his own body, and his readiness 
to feed, clothe, and otherwise relieve the physi- 
cal sufferings of all whose condition appealed to 
his humanity, as also, his untiring zeal in seek- 
ing the spiritual good of all classes. 

His liberality to the poor had no limit but the 
extent of his means. He gave away, not a part 
of his income merely, but all that he had. And 
his means were not small. Few men have had 
a better chance to amass wealth than he. But 
he made no other use of the money which came 
into his hands, than to feed the hungry, cloth 
the naked, and give the Grospel to the poor. 
With his advantages, most other men would 
have laid up an independent fortune ; but he 
saved nothing. " My own hands shall be my 
executors," said he, and when he died he left 
little more than enough to defray his funeral 
expenses. His rule was, "Get all you can, 
save all you can, and give all you can." How 
literally he adhered to this rule may be seen in 
the following account given by himself. When 
tutor at Oxford his salary for the first year was 
thirty pounds : "he lived on twenty-eight, and 
gave away forty shillings. The next year re- 



WESLEY OFFERING. 267 

ceiving sixty pounds, he still lived on twenty- 
eight, and gave away two-and-thirty. The third 
year he received ninety pounds, and gave away 
sixty-two. The fourth year he received one hun- 
dred and twenty pounds, still he lived on twenty- 
eight, and gave to the poor ninety-two." In this 
way he proceeded during life. 

The Commissioners of His Majesty's Excise, 
supposing a man of his distinction must have a 
large quantity of silver-plate on which he should 
pay duty, as required by law, wrote him requiring 
him to make an entry of it, and intimating that 
his neglect or refusal to do so would oblige them 
to report his case to the proper authority. Mr. 
"Wesley answered as follows : 

" Sir, — I have tivo silver teaspoons at London, 
and two at Bristol. This is all the plate which 
I have at present ; and I shall not buy any more 
while so many around me want bread. 
" I am, sir, your humble servant, 

" John Wesley." 

His philanthropy was based upon the most 
enlightened views of the constitution and rela- 
tions of man. He believed that Grod had " made 



268 WESLEY OFFERING. 

of one blood" all nations of the earth — that in 
their natural rights all men are equal — and that 
in respect to redemption, and the principles of 
his retributive administration, God is no re- 
specter of persons. He was an uncompromising 
enemy of all institutions and business pursuits, 
which acted unequally or oppressively, and 
found their prosperity in the poverty and degra- 
dation of the masses. 

He therefore deprecated in strong and severe 
terms those giant evils which give birth to such 
a numerous progeny of vices and miseries. 
Among these are intemperance and slavery. On 
the question of temperance, he occupied ground 
one hundred years ago, which by many would 
be considered ultra at the present time. In his 
sermon on the use of Money, he holds the fol- 
lowing lano-uasfe : 

" Neither may we gain by hurting our neigh- 
bor in his body. Therefore, we may not sell 
anything which tends to impair health. Such 
is eminently all that liquid fire commonly called 
drams or spirituous liquors. It is true these 
may have a place in medicine : they may be of 
use in some bodily disorders ; although there 



WESLEY OFFERING. 269 

would rarely be occasion for them, were it not 
for the unskilfulness of the practitioner. There- 
fore, such as prepare and sell them only for 
this end, may keep their conscience clear. But 
who are they ? Who prepare them only for 
this end ? Do you know ten such distillers in 
England ? Then excuse these. But all who 
sell in the common way, to any that will buy, 
are poisoners general. They murder His Maj- 
esty's subjects by wholesale ; neither does their 
eye pity or spare. They drive them to hell like 
sheep ; and what is their gain ? Is it not the 
blood of these men ? Who then would envy 
their large estates and sumptuous palaces ? A 
curse is in the midst of them : the curse of Grod 
cleaves to the stones, the timber, the furniture 
of these ! The curse of God is in their gardens, 
their walks, their groves ; a fire that burns to 
the nethermost hell. Blood, blood is there : the 
foundation, the floor, the walls, the roof, are 
stained with blood ! And canst thou hope, 
thou man of blood, though thou art ' clothed in 
scarlet and fine linen, and farest sumptuously 
every day ;' canst thou hope to deliver down 
thy fields of blood to the third generation ? Not 



270 WESLEY OFFERING. 

so, for there is a God in heaven ; therefore thy 
name shall soon be rooted out. Like as those 
whom thou hast destroyed, body and soul, ' thy 
memorial shall perish with thee.' " 

In his Thoughts on Slavery, addressing him- 
self to those who buy the slave after he is kid- 
napped and abducted from his native land, he 
pronounces men-buyers equally guilty, — " ex- 
actly on a level with men-stealers. Indeed, 
you say, ' I pay honestly for my goods ; and I 
am not concerned to know how they are come 
by.' Nay, but you are ; you are deeply con- 
cerned to know they are honestly come by ; 
otherwise you are a partaker with a thief, and 
are not a jot honester than him. But you know 
they are not honestly come by ; you know they 
are procured by means nothing near so innocent 
as picking of pockets, housebreaking, or robbing 
upon the highway. You know they are procured 
by a deliberate series of more complicated vil- 
lainy (of fraud, robbery, and murder) than was 
ever practised either by Mohammedans or Pa- 
gans ; in particular by murders of all kinds ; 
by the blood of the innocent poured upon the 
ground like water. 



WESLEY OFFERING. 271 

" Now it is your money that pays the merchant, 
and through him the captain and the African 
butchers. You therefore are guilty, yea, princi- 
pally guilty, of all these frauds, robberies, and 
murders. You are the spring that puts all the 
rest in motion ; they would not stir a step with- 
out you ; therefore, the blood of all these wretches 
who die before their time, whether in their coun- 
try, or elsewhere, lies upon your head. The 
blood of thy brother (for, whether thou wilt be- 
lieve it or no, such he is in the sight of Him that 
made him) " crieth against thee from the earth ;" 
from the ship and from the waters. 0, what- 
ever it costs, put a stop to its cry, before it is too 
late ; instantly, at any price, — deliver thyself 
from blood-guiltiness. Thy hands, thy bed, thy 
furniture, thy house, thy lands, are at present 
stained with blood. Surely, it is enough ; ac- 
cumulate no more guilt ; spill no more the blood 
of the innocent ! Do not hire another to shed 
blood. Whether you are a Christian or no, show 
yourself a man ; be not more savage than a lion, 
or a bear ! 

" Perhaps you will say, ' I do not buy any 
negroes ; I only use those left me by my father.' 



272 WESLEY OFFERING. 

So far, so well ; but is it enough to satisfy your 
own conscience ? Had your father, have you, 
has any man living, a right to use another as a 
slave ? It cannot be, even setting revelation 
aside. It cannot be, that either man, or con- 
tract, can give any war, such a property in 
another as he has in his sheep and oxen. Much 
less is it possible that any child of man should 
ever be born a slave. Liberty is the right of 
every human creature, as soon as he breathes the 
vital air : and no human law can deprive him of 
that right which he derives from the law of 
nature. 

"If therefore you have any regard to justice 
(to say nothing of mercy, nor the revealed law 
of Grod), render unto all their due. Give liberty 
to whom liberty is due, that is, to every child of 
man, to every partaker of human nature. Let 
none serve you but by his own act and deed, his 
own voluntary choice. Away with all whips, all 
chains, all compulsion ! Be gentle towards all 
men ; and see that you invariably do to others 
as you would they should do unto you." 

In a letter supposed to have been written to that 
celebrated philanthropist, Wilberforce, he says — 



WESLEY OFFERING. 273 

" Unless the divine power lias raised you up to 
be as ' Athanasius contra mundunV (Athanasius 
against the world) I see not how you can go 
through your glorious enterprise in opposing that 
execrable villainy, which is the scandal of re- 
ligion, of England, and of human nature. Un- 
less God has raised you up for this very thing, 
you will be worn out by the opposition of men 
and devils. But if God be for you, who can be 
against you. Are all of them together stronger 
than God ? '0 be not weary in well-doing !' 
Go on in the name of God, and in the power of 
his might, till even American slavery (the vilest 
that ever saw the sun) shall vanish away before it." 

The philanthropy of "Wesley, was not blind, 
flashy, and fanatical ; it was founded on liberal 
and enlightened views of the constitution, rela- 
tions, and accountability of man — it was guided 
by the teachings of reason and revelation, and 
burned in his heart with a steady, and perpetual 
flame. Its comprehension was worthy of the 
dignity of human nature, and the application of its 
principles was bounded only by the family of man. 

We close this portraiture, by contemplating 
"Wesley as he appeared in social life. 
18 



274 WESLEY OFFERING. 

He was the charm of every circle in which, he 
moved. There was in his manner, no air of 
superiority, as though he thought himself en- 
titled to claim the homage of all others, but quite 
the reverse. He was perfectly free from ostenta- 
tion, and his manners marked by the utmost 
simplicity. And yet by common consent the 
company deferred to him, and allowed him to 
choose and lead the entertainment of the occasion. 

For this, his qualities of mind, and extensive 
information gave him the most perfect fitness. 
Prepossessing in his appearance, easy and pleas- 
ing in his mode of address, with an inexhaustible 
fund of useful knowledge, illustrated by numer- 
ous facts collected during his eventful life — his 
conversation being cheerful and sprightly, his 
company was both entertaining and instructive, 
and without any apparent design on his part, he 
captivated the minds and hearts of all listeners. 

His colloquial powers were of the highest 
order. The celebrated Dr. Samuel Johnson will 
be acknowledged good authority on this point. 
He was personally acquainted with Mr. Wesley, 
and remarked respecting him, — " Mr. Wesley's 
conversation is good j he talks well on every sub- 



WESLEY OFFERING. 275 

jVct ; I could converse with him all night." 
" Very lately," says one who knew him, " I had 
an opportunity, for some days together, of observ- 
ing Mr. Wesley with attention. I endeavored to 
consider him, not so much with the eye of a 
friend, as with the impartiality of a philosopher: 
and I must declare, every hour I spent in his 
company afforded me fresh reasons for esteem 
and veneration. So fine an old man I never saw. 
The happiness of his mind beamed forth in his 
countenance. Every look showed how fully he 
enjoyed ' the gay remembrance of a life well 
spent ;' and wherever he went, he diffused a 
portion of his own felicity. Easy and affable in 
his demeanor, he accommodated himself to every 
sort of company, and showed how happily the 
most finished courtesy may be blended with the 
most perfect piety. In his conversation, we 
might be at a loss whether to admire most his 
fine classical taste, his extensive knowledge of 
men and things, or his overflowing goodness of 
heart. While the grave and the serious were 
charmed with his wisdom, his sportive sallies 
of innocent mirth delighted even the young 
and thoughtless ; and both saw in his uninter- 



276 WESLEY OFFERING. 

rupted cheerfulness, the excellency of true reli- 
gion. No cynical remarks on the levity of youth 
embittered his discourse ; no applausive retro- 
spect to past times marked his present discon- 
tent. In him even old age appeared delightful, 
like an evening without a cloud ; and it was 
impossible to observe him without wishing fer- 
vently, 'May my last end be like his.'" The 
lines of Cowper, so perfectly descriptive of the 
subject of this chapter, may properly form its 
conclusion : — ■ 

" 0, I have seen, (nor hope perhaps in vain, 
Ere life go down, to see such sights again,) 
A veteran warrior in the Christian field, 
Who never saw the sword he could not wield. 
Grave without dulness, learned without pride, 
Exact but not precise, though meek, keen-eyed ; 
A man that could have foiled at their own play, 
A dozen would-bes of the modern day ; 
Who, when occasion justified its use, 
Had wit as bright as ready to produce; 
Could fetch from records of an earlier age, 
Or from philosophy's enlightened page, 
His rich materials, and regale your ear 
With strains it was a privilege to hear. 
Yet, above all, his luxury supreme, 
And his chief glory, was the gospel theme: 
Then he was copious as old Greece or Rome; 
His happy eloquence seemed there at home ; 
Ambitious not to shine, or to excel, 
But to treat justly, what he loved so well." 



CHAPTER X. 

CONCLUSION. 

If I am traduced by tongues, which neither know 
My faculties, nor person, yet will be 
The chroniclers of my doing, — let me say, 
'Tis but the fate of place, and the rough brake 
That virtue must go through. 

Suakspe are's Henry VIII. 

It is now considerably more than a century 
since the commencement of the "Wesleyan Refor- 
mation. The principal instrument in effecting 
it has slept in his honored tomb sixty years. 
The necessity which called for it — the causes 
which led to it — the agents employed in it — the 
events connected with it — and the results which 
have flowed, and are still flowing, from it, have 
been before the world during this period for 
inspection and criticism, approval or condemna- 
tion, according to the opinions, prejudices, and 
tastes of those who have assumed to pass upon 
them. 

As in the political, so also in the moral world, 



278 WESLEY OFFERING. 

a revolution supposes the existing state of society 
more or less broken up, and a new order of things 
introduced and established. In both cases the 
change will be attended with convulsions, and 
incidental evils will arise for which the Refor- 
mation is not responsible, and which usually 
disappear when the change sought has been 
achieved, and the troubled elements or agitated 
waters have been reduced to a state of calmness. 
These evils generally show themselves most pro- 
minently in the heat of the conflict, and before 
there has been opportunity to realize the benign 
fruits of a salutary change. 

It is precisely at this point, that the enemies 
of such Revolution or Reformation delight to 
contemplate it. They seize hold of its incidental 
evils and extravagances, and, looking at them 
through a medium which magnifies them far 
beyond their real turpitude, employ them to 
weaken public confidence in the utility of the 
movement, to counteract its influence, and pre- 
occupy the public mind with hatred and disgust. 
Nothing can be more illogical or unjust. On 
the same principle, a skilful and successful sur- 
gical operation, in a case where life is depend- 



WESLEY OFFERING. 2 id 

ing, may be disparaged and condemned, because 
of the pain inflicted upon the patient, or the dis- 
agreeable sensations produced in the minds of 
spectators. It would be just as reasonable to 
" pull down the scaffolding from a half-finished 
edifice; then point to the flying dust, the falling 
bricks, the comfortless rooms, the frightful irregu- 
larity of the whole appearance, and ask in scorn 
where the promised splendor and comfort are to 
be found. If such miserable sophisms were to 
prevail, there never would be a good house or a 
good government in the world." Xor would 
there ever be a good moral or religious state of 
society. 

" There is," says the author just quoted (Ma- 
caulay), " only one cure for the evils which 
newly acquired freedom produces, and that one 
is freedom J AVhen a prisoner leaves his cell, 
he cannot bear the light of day ; he is unabh to 
discriminate colors, or recognize faces. But the 
remedy is not to remand him into his dungeon, 
but to accustom him to the rays of the sun. The 
blaze of truth and liberty, may at first dazzle 
and bewilder nations which have become half- 
blind in the house of bondage : but let them gaze 



280 WESLEY OFFERING. 

on, and they will soon be able to bear it. In a 
few years men learn to reason. The extreme 
violence of opinion subsides. Hostile theories 
correct each other. The scattered elements of 
truth cease to conflict, and begin to coalesce. 
And at length a system of justice and order is 
educed out of the chaos." " If men are to wait 
for liberty till they become wise and good in 
slavery, they may indeed wait forever." This 
reasoning, so apt and just, is a sufficient answer 
to ail objections which short-sighted or preju- 
diced minds have brought against the Lutheran 
or "Wesleyan Reformation, on account of the in- 
dividual instances of extravagance, enthusiasm, 
and dogmatism, with which they were inciden- 
tally connected. The true method of judging of 
the character of a revolution or reformation, is to 
take into view the condition of society, necessity 
of a change, the aims and purposes of the re- 
formers, the motives and principles by which 
they are moved and governed, and the perma- 
nent results, or fruits realized. Compare the 
state in which the reformation found society, 
with that in which it left it. If despotism has 
been dethroned, learning liberated from prison, 



WESLEY OFFERING, 281 

religion revived and science advanced: if the 
public mind has been assisted to rise above de- 
grading superstitions which had held it in bond- 
age for ages, if dogmatic theology has been 
brought into disrepute, ecclesiastical tyranny 
broken, and conscience disenthralled — if the 
Bible has received a free and rapid circulation, 
and the fearful ravages of infidelity have been 
arrested — if society has been elevated, a more 
just and comprehensive view of the moral gov- 
ernment of God, the nature of the Gospel and the 
claims of true religion imparted — above all, if 
experimental and practical piety have been per- 
manently advanced, tens of thousands truly con- 
verted and radically reformed, and a stronger, 
healthier, more active, and more efficient Chris- 
tian influence diffused through the Church of 
Christ ; the collateral and temporary evils and 
abuses which may have marked the progress 
of these splendid achievements, should never be 
thought of in the light of objections. There 
were indeed fewer enthusiasts, and less real en- 
thusiasm in the reformation under Wesley, than 
in that under Luther. For this several reasons 
may be assigned. 



282 WESLEY OFFERING. 

1. There was less impetuosity in the charac- 
ter of "Wesley, than in that of Luther. His 
calmness combined with his firmness, saved 
him from much of the rashness into which an 
impetuous spirit is usually betrayed, and the 
example was not without its influence in re- 
straining and preventing abuses among his ad- 
herents. 

2. The corruption and superstition which held 
sway, were more gross and degrading, and the 
people more ignorant and besotted in the fifteenth, 
than in the eighteenth century. The revulsion 
produced by the Reformation in Germany, was 
more sudden and marvellous to those who had 
been accustomed to nothing but Romish despo- 
tism. The contrast between the old and new 
state of things was more strongly marked, and 
the people were less prepared than in England, 
to make a rational and prudent use of their 
newly acquired advantages and blessings. 

3. The reformation by Wesley was free from 
political questions and excitements. Not so in 
Germany. There the reigning corruptions and 
superstitions were upheld by secular power as 
well as ecclesiastical authority. The reformer 



WESLEY OFFERING. 283 

was obliged to contend with both, and he must 
conquer both, or no substantial good could be 
achieved. This led to much unholy excitement, 
and many unhappy consequences. Many from 
witnessing the abuses of government, conceived 
the fanatical idea of dispensing with government 
entirely. And some of the reformers were led 
to adopt measures very questionable in their 
character. 

Nothing of this kind occurred in England. 
The government was not hostile to true religion. 
It allowed the rights of conscience in respect to 
doctrine, and was not pledged against different 
forms of worship. Wesley sought no change in 
the government, nor in the organization of the 
Church establishment. He only aimed to re- 
vive primitive Christianity, and spread scriptural 
holiness over the land. In doing this he used no 
worldly policy, and engaged in no political con- 
flicts. His weapons were not carnal, yet " mighty 
through Grod" in pulling down the strongholds 
of sin and Satan. He often had severe con- 
flicts, but they were with the li rulers of the 
darkness of this world," " with principalities and 
powers, with spiritual wickedness in high places." 



284 WESLEY OFFERING. 

Much of what religious formalism and skeptical 
philosophy will ever term enthusiasm, existed, 
and it is likely that some cases of real fanaticism 
occurred; but when we remember how much 
hostility the spirit and poiver of true religion 
have ever met with, that the friends of Christ 
said, " He is beside himself," and Paul was de- 
nominated " mad," we need not wonder that 
enthusiasm should be alleged against that re- 
markable work of God promoted by Wesley, 
nor consider it worth our while to give it any 
farther attention. 

But as this charge has been made distinctly 
against the person of Wesley himself, we may 
be allowed a word or two in his defence. If de- 
termination, earnestness, zeal, and perseverance 
in a good cause, constitute enthusiasm, then 
Wesley was an enthusiast ; otherwise, not. The 
real enthusiast acts blindly. He is moved by 
impulse, irrespective of the dictates of reason 
or revelation. But such was not the character 
or conduct of Wesley. No man understood the 
use, or prized the advantages of reason more 
truly than he. And as to revelation, it was his 
highest authority on all questions of religion and 



WESLEY OFFERING. 285 

morals. " To the law and the testimony," was 
his motto. If any man speak not according to 
these, " it is because there is no light in him." 

In no exceptionable or vulgar sense, was Wes- 
ley an enthusiast. His enthusiasm for religion 
was like that of Lord Nelson for his country. 
11 When the highest interests of man were con- 
cerned, he made no account of precedent or 
public opinion, or maxims of human, or even of 
ecclesiastical precedence. The Church of Eng- 
land appeared to him to have fallen into a state 
of stupor, like that of the ancient Jewish Church ; 
and it was his persuasion, that a kind of second 
John the Baptist, a ' voice of one crying in the 
wilderness,' was necessary to awaken it." To 
this work he considered himself providentially 
called ; and because he attached more impor- 
tance to the revival of vital religion, the preva- 
lence of Bible holiness, and the salvation of 
thousands, than to mere modes and forms, he 
has been branded as a schismatic and enthusiast. 
If this be enthusiasm, the more it prevails the 
better it will be for the Church and the world. 

The same author quoted above (Alexander 
Knox, Esquire), replies to the charge of ambi- 



286 WESLEY OFFERING. 

tion in the following manner : "I must declare, 
that the slightest suspicion of pride, ambition, 
selfishness, in any shape or form, or personal 
gratification of whatever kind, stimulating Mr. 
Wesley in any instance, or mixing in any meas- 
ure with the movements of his life, never once 
entered into my mind. That such charges 
were made by his opponents, I could not be ig- 
norant. Bat my deep impression was, and it 
certainly remains unimpaired, that since the 
days of the apostles there has not been a human 
being more thoroughly exempt from all those 
frailties of human nature than John Wesley. 

" That he had uncommon acuteness in fitting 
expedients to conjunctures, is most certain ; this, 
in fact, was his great talent. But in exerting 
this faculty, he was unspeakably aided by the 
intentional rectitude of his leading purpose. To 
train as many persons as he could influence to 
habitual and elevated piety, by a settled plan of 
methodical, social, and anti-secular devotion, was 
his uniform and exclusive object. In this pur- 
suit, none other than morally innocent means 
could be thought of ; and while he chose them 
not only with that honesty which is the best pol- 



WESLEY OFFERING. 287 

icy, but with uncommon instinctive sagacity, his 
constitutional energy supported his religious zeal 
in carrying them into steady and systematical 
practice. 

" That Mr. Wesley's natural feelings were grat- 
ified with the progress of his society, cannot be 
questioned ; nor that, with the partiality of a 
parent, he was liable to palliate its imperfections, 
and to over-estimate its good effects. I grant, 
too, that in governing the body which he had 
formed,, he experienced much of the pleasure 
which every one feels in exercising those talents 
wherein he excels. Bat I am persuaded that 
these necessary and useful movements of our 
nature never existed in any mere human being 
with less alloy of selfishness than in John Wes- 
ley." 

One other charge should, perhaps, receive 
a passing notice, viz., that of credulity and su- 
perstition. This charge is exceedingly vague, 
and it is difficult to know how to reply to it. 
"We suspect, however, were it defined it would 
amount to about this : he believed without 
doubt the whole Bible, regarding it as infallible 
truth ; and, he had an unsuspecting faith in hu- 



288 WESLEY OFFERING. 

man testimony. "With all infidels, and semi- 
infidels, and with some who bear the Christian 
name, faith in the entire truth of the Bible is re- 
garded weakness or credulity. But the real 
Christian will hardly deem such confidence to 
call for an apology. The Bible teaches the doc- 
trine of a particular providence — that there is an 
invisible world — that there are good and evil 
spirits, some of whom God employs to effect his 
designs, and others he permits within certain 
limitations, to display their malignant feelings 
and dispositions in opposition to Him and his 
people. All this Mr. Wesley believed. In his 
extensive travels through England, Ireland, and 
Scotland, he met with many extraordinary ac- 
counts of strange appearances, and interpositions, 
some of which seemed to himself to be supernat- 
ural. It was his practice to publish these ac- 
counts as he received them, upon the testimony 
of others, and, without recording any opinion of 
his own, leave them to the judgment of the pub- 
lic. In some instances he may have attached 
more importance than was due to these accounts, 
and upon this mainly is founded the charge of 
superstition. But if this be sufficient to sustain 



WESLEY OFFEKING. 289 

the allegation against him, the most eminent 
philosophers and divines (as Dr. Samuel Johnson 
and Martin Luther) who have lived either before 
or since his day, are open to the same charge ; 
and while he is found in such excellent company, 
we need not be very solicitous for his reputation. 
It forms no part of our design to exhibit the 
statistics of Methodism. These may be seen in 
detail elsewhere. But we cannot forbear to re- 
mark in a general way, upon the astonishing 
results which have flowed, and are flowing from 
the life and labors of the man, to whose name 
and memory these pages are devoted. Surely 
the little one has become a thousand, and the 
small one a great nation. In numbers, in edu- 
cation, character, and influence, the increase of 
the denomination of Christians, raised up, organ- 
ized, and governed, personally by Wesley for 
more than fifty years, and subsequent to his 
death, by rules and regulations established by 
his wisdom and authority, is unparalleled by 
anything similar since the days of the Apostles. 
And the end is not yet. Methodism is now in a 
position to exert a stronger and more successful 
influence in the work of saving the world than 
19 



290 WESLEY OFFERING. 

at any former period. She has the vantage- 
ground, and the facilities for usefulness. If 
properly used, with becoming reliance on the 
blessing of Grod, the magnitude and value of her 
spiritual conquests cannot now be estimated. 
The elements of spiritual life have been im- 
parted to religious bodies before inactive and 
lifeless — the spiritual energies of the protestant 
world have been called into action, harmonized, 
and directed towards the object of Christian en- 
terprise. Indeed, so far as we can now see and 
judge, the Christian world is, under God, in- 
debted to the spirit called into action by the 
Wesleyan reformation, more than to any other 
cause, for the spiritual health which pervades 
the churches, the success which is now attend- 
ing their efforts, and the cheering prospect which 
lays before them. May this same spirit — Bible 
holiness enjoyed and professed — true religion in 
the heart and in the life — " Christianity in 
earnest," to publish the Grospel and save a lost 
world, continue to accumulate a power in the 
Church and in the world which shall bear away 
the pillars of the temple of sin, and leave idola- 
try and infidelity without a support or covering. 



APPENDIX. 

As allusion has been made in the preceding 
pages to the violent persecutions the "Wesleys 
were obliged to meet in their course as itinerant 
preachers, we subjoin the following account, as 
a specimen both in manner and spirit, of what 
was not very uncommon. 

" Thursday, October 20th, 1743," says Mr. John 
Wesley, " after preaching to a small, attentive 
congregation, I rode to Wednesbury. At twelve 
I preached in a ground near the middle of the 
town, to a far larger congregation than was ex- 
pected, on ' Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, to- 
day and forever.' I believe every one present felt 
the power of God. And no creature offered to 
molest us, either going, or coming ; but the Lord 
fought for us, and we held our peace. 

" I was writing at Francis Ward's in the after- 
noon, when the cry arose that the mob had beset 



292 APPENDIX. 

the house. "We prayed that (rod would disperse 
them ; and so it was ; one went this way and 
another that, so that in half an hour, not a man 
was left. I told our brethren, ' Now is the time 
for us to go ;' but they pressed me exceedingly 
to stay. So, that I might not offend them, I sat 
down, though I foresaw what would follow. 
Before five, the mob surrounded the house again, 
in greater numbers than ever. The cry of one 
and all was, ' Bring out the minister ; we will 
have the minister.' I desired one to take their 
captain by the hand and bring him into the 
house. After a few sentences interchanged be- 
tween us, the lion was become a lamb. I de- 
sired him to go and bring one or two more of the 
most angry of his companions. He brought in 
two, who were ready to swallow the ground with 
rage ; but in two minutes they were as calm as 
he. I then bade him make way that I might go 
out among the people. As soon as I was in the 
midst of them, I called for a chair, and, standing 
up, asked, ' What do you want with me ?' Some 
said, ' We want you to go with us to the justice.' 
I replied, 'That I will with all my heart.' I 
then spoke a few words, which God applied ; so 



APPENDIX. 293 

that they cried out with might and main, ' The 
gentleman is an honest gentleman, and we will 
spill our blood in his defence.' I asked, ' Shall 
we go to the justice to-night, or in the morning ?' 
Most of them cried, to-night, to-night ; on which 
I went before, and two or three hundred fol- 
lowed ; the rest returning whence they came. 

" The night came on before we had walked a 
mile, together with heavy rain. However, on 
we went to Bently-Hall, two miles from Wed- 
nesbury. One or two ran before to tell Mr. Lane, 
that they had brought Mr. Wesley before his 
worship. Mr. Lane replied, "What have I to do 
with Mr. Wesley ? Go, and carry him back 
again.' By this time the main body came up, 
and began knocking at the door. A servant told 
them, Mr. Lane was in bed. His son followed 
and asked what was the matter. One replied, 
' Why, an't please you, they sing Psalms all 
day : nay, and make folks rise at five in the 
morning ; and what would your worship advise 
us to do?' ' To go home,' said Mr. Lane, ' and 
be quiet.' 

" Here they were at a full stop, till one ad- 
vised to sro to Justice Persehouse, at Walsal. 



294 APPENDIX. 

All agreed to this, so we hastened on, and about 
seven came to his house. But Mr. P. likewise 
sent word that he was in bed. Now they were 
at a stand again ; but at last they all thought it 
their wisest course to make the best of their way 
home. About fifty of them undertook to convey 
me ; but we had not gone a huudred yards, when 
the mob of Walsal came pouring in like a flood, 
and bore down all before them. The Darlaston 
mob made what defence they could ; but they 
were weary as well as outnumbered ; so that, in 
a short time, many being knocked down, the 
rest ran away, and left me in their hands. 

" To attempt speaking was vain : for the noise 
on every side was like the roaring of the sea ; so 
they dragged me along till they came to the 
town, when, seeing the door of a large house 
open, I attempted to go in, but a man, catching 
me by the hair, pulled me back into the middle 
of the mob. They made no more stay, till they 
had carried me through the main street, from one 
end of the town to the other. I continued speak- 
ing all the time to those within hearing, feeling 
no pain or weariness. At the west end of the 
town, seeing a door half open, I made towards it, 



APPENDIX. 295 

and would have gone in ; but a gentleman in the 
shop would not suffer me, saying, ' they would 
pull the house down to the ground,' However, 
I stood at the door, and asked, ' Are you willing 
to hear me speak?' Many cried out, 'No, no, 
knock his brains out; down with him, kill him 
at once.' Others said, ' Nay, but we will hear 
him first.' I began- speaking, ' What evil have 
I done? Which of you all have I injured in 
word or deed V and continued speaking about 
a quarter of an hour, when my voice suddenly 
failed ; then the floods began to lift up their voice 
again ; many crying out, * Bring him away, 
bring him away.' 

" In the meantime my strength of voice re- 
turned, and I broke out aloud in prayer. And 
now, the man who just before headed the mob, 
turned and said, ' Sir, I will spend my life for 
you ; follow me, and not one soul here shalL 
touch a hair of your head.' Two or three of 
his followers confirmed his words, and got close 
to me immediately. At the same time, the gen- 
tleman in the shop cried out, ' For shame ! for 
shame ! let him go.' An honest butcher, who 
was a little farther off, said it was a shame they 



296 APPENDIX 

should do thus ; and pulled back four or five, one 
after another, who were running on most fiercely. 
The people then, as if it had been by common 
consent, fell back to the right and left ; while 
those three or four men took me between them, 
and carried me through them all. But on the 
bridge the mob rallied again : we therefore went 
on one side over the mill-dam, and thence 
through the meadows, till a little before ten Grod 
brought me safe to Wednesbury ; having lost 
only one flap of my waistcoat, and a little skin 
from one of my hands." 

Having escaped the hands of the rioters in 
the manner here described, Mr. Wesley met his 
brother at Nottingham. Charles mentions this 
meeting in his journal. 

" My brother came," says he, "delivered out 
of the mouth of the lions ! His clothes were torn 
to tatters. He looked like a soldier of Christ. 
The mob of Wednesbury, Darlaston, and Walsal, 
were permitted to take and carry him about for 
several hours, with a full intent to murder him ; 
but his work is not yet finished, or he had been 
now with the souls under the altar." 

Soon after this, the leader of the mob was 



APPENDIX. 297 

converted, and united with the society. "When 
asked what he thought of Mr. Wesley, he re- 
plied, ' Think of him ! that he is a man of God ; 
and God was on his side, when so many of us 
could not kill one man.'' " 

From the following account given by Mr. 
Charles Wesley, it appears he was as highly 
honored as his brother : 

" February 25, 1747, was a day never to be 
forgotten. At seven o'clock I walked quietly to 
Mrs. Phillips's, and began preaching a little be- 
fore the time appointed. For three quarters of 
an hour I invited a few listening sinners to 
Christ. Soon after, Satan's whole army assaulted 
the house. We kept our seats, and they rushed 
into the passage. Just then Mr. Borough, the 
constable, came, and seizing the spout of the 
engine, carried it off. They swore if he did not 
deliver it they would pull down the house. At 
that time they might have taken us prisoners ; 
we were close to them, and none to interpose. 
But they hurried out to fetch the larger engine. 
In the meantime we were advised to send for 
the Mayor ; but Mr. Mayor was gone out of 
town in the sight of the people, which gave 



298 APPENDIX. 

great encouragement to those who were already 
wrought up to a proper pitch by the curate, and 
the gentlemen of the town ; particularly Mr. 
Sutton and Mr. Willy, dissenters, the two lead- 
ing men. Mr. Sutton frequently came out to 
the mob, to keep up their spirits. He sent word 
to Mrs. Phillips, that if she did not turn that fellow 
out to the mob, he would send them to drag him 
out. Mr. Willy passed by again and again, as- 
suring the rioters he would stand by them, and 
secure them from the law, do what they would. 
" The rioters now began playing the larger 
engine ; which broke the windows, flooded the 
rooms, and spoiled the goods. We were with- 
drawn to a small upper room in the back part 
of the house, seeing no way to escape their vio- 
lence, as they seemed under the full power of 
the old murderer. They first laid hold on the 
man who kept the society-house, dragged him 
away, and threw him into the horse-pond, and, 
it was said, broke his back. We gave ourselves 
unto prayer, believing the Lord would deliver 
us ; how or when, we saw not ; nor any possi- 
ble way of escaping. We therefore stood still to 
see the salvation of God. Every now and then 



APPENDIX. 299 

some or other of our friends would venture to 
us ; but rather weakened our hands, so that we 
were forced to stop our ears, and look up. 
Among the rest, the Mayor's maid came, and 
told us her mistress was in tears about me ; and 
begged me to disguise myself in woman's clothes, 
and try to make my escape. Her heart had 
been turned toward us by the conversion of 
her son, just on the brink of ruin. Grod laid 
his hand on the poor prodigal, and instead of 
running to sea, he entered the society. The 
rioters without continued playing their engine, 
which diverted them for some time ; but their 
number and fierceness still increased, and the 
gentlemen supplied them with pitchers of ale, 
as much as they would drink. They were now 
on the point of breaking in, when Mr. Borough 
thought of reading the proclamation ; he did so, 
at the hazard of his life. In less than the hour, 
of a thousand wild beasts, none were left but the 
guard. Our constable had applied to Mr. Street, 
the only justice in town, who would act. We 
found there was no help in man, which drove us 
closer to the Lord ; and we prayed, with little 
intermission, the whole day. 



300 APPENDIX. 

" Oar enemies, at their return, made their 
main assault at the back door, swearing horribly 
they would have me, if it cost them their lives. 
Many seeming accidents concurred to prevent 
their breaking in. The man of the house came 
home, and instead of turning me out, as they 
expected, took part with us, and stemmed the 
tide for some time. They now got a notion that 
I had made my escape, and ran down to the inn 
and played the engine there. They forced the 
innkeeper to turn out our horses, which he im- 
mediately sent to Mr. Clark's; which drew the 
rabble and their engine thither. But the reso- 
lute old man charged and presented his gun, till 
they retreated. Upon their revisiting us, we 
stood in jeopardy every moment. Such threaten- 
ings, curses, and blasphemies I have never heard. 
They seemed kept out by a continual miracle. 
I remembered the Roman senators sitting in the 
forum, when the Gauls broke in upon them ; but 
thought there was a fitter posture for Christians, 
and told my companions they should take us off 
our knees. We were kept from all hurry, and 
discomposure of spirit, by a divine power resting 
upon us. We prayed and conversed as freely as 



APPENDIX. 301 

if we had been in the midst of our brethren ; and 
had great confidence that the Lord would either 
deliver us from danger, or in it. In the height 
of the storm, just when we were falling into the 
hands of the drunken enraged multitude, Mr. 
Minton was so little disturbed, that he fell fast 
asleep. 

" They were now close to us on every side, 
and over our heads untiling the roof. A ruffian 
cried out, ' There they are, behind the curtain.' 
At this time we fully expected their appearance, 
and retired to the furthermost corner of the 
room ; and I said, ' This is the crisis.' In that 
moment, Jesus rebuked the winds and the sea, 
and there was a great calm. We heard not a 
breath without, and wondered what was become 
of them. The silence lasted for three quarters 
of an hour, before any one came near us ; and 
we continued in mutual exhortation and prayer, 
looking for deliverance. I often told my com- 
panions, ' Now, (J-od is at work for us ; he is 
contriving our escape ; he can turn these leopards 
into lambs ; can command the heathen to bring 
his children on their shoulders, and make our 
fiercest enemies the instruments of our deliver- 



302 APPENDIX. 

ance.' About three o'clock, Mr. Clark knocked 
at the door, and brought with him the perse- 
cuting constable. He said, ' Sir, if you will 
promise never to preach here again, the gentle- 
man and I will agree to bring you safe out of 
town.' My answer was, ' I shall promise no 
such thing : setting aside my office, I will not 
give up my birthright as an Englishman, of 
visiting what place I please of his majesty's 
dominions.' ' Sir,' said the constable, * we expect 
no such promise, that you will not come here 
again ; only tell me that it is not your present 
intention, that I may tell the gentleman, who 
will secure your quiet departure.' I answered, 'I 
cannot come again at this time, because I must 
return to London a week hence. But observe, 
I make no promise of not preaching here, when 
the door is opened ; and do not you say that I 
do.' 

" He went away with this answer, and we 
betook ourselves to prayer and thanksgiving. 
We perceived it was the Lord's doing, and it 
was marvellous in our eyes. The hearts of our 
adversaries were turned. Whether pity for us, 
or fear for themselves, wrought strongest, Grod 



APPENDIX. 303 

knoweth ; probably the latter ; for the mob were 
wrought up to such a pitch of fury, that their 
masters dreaded the consequence, and therefore 
went about appeasing the multitude, and charg- 
ing them not to touch us in our departure. 

" While the constable was gathering his posse, 
we got our things from Mr. Clark's, and prepared 
to go forth. The whole multitude were without, 
expecting us, and saluted with a general shout. 
The man Mrs. Nay lor had hired to ride before 
her, was, as we perceived, one of the rioters. 
This hopeful guide was to conduct us out of the 
reach of his fellows. Mr. Minton and I took 
horse in the face of our enemies, who began 
clamoring against us : the gentlemen were dis- 
persed among the mob to bridle them. AYe rode 
at a slow pace up the street, the whole multitude 
pouring along on both sides, and attending us 
with loud acclamations. Such fierceness, and 
diabolical malice I have not before seen in human 
faces. They ran up to our horses as if they 
would swallow us, but did not know which was 
Wesley. We felt great peace, and acquiescence 
in the honor done us, while the whole town were 
spectators of our march. When out of sight, 



304 APPENDIX. 

we mended our pace, and about seven o'clock 
came to Wrexall. The news of our danger was 
got thither before us ; but we brought the wel- 
come tidings of our deliverance. We joined in 
hearty prayer to our Deliverer, singing the 
hymn : 

" ' Worship and thanks, and blessing, 
And strength ascribe to Jesus : — 
Jesus alone defends his own, 
When earth and hell oppress us. 
Jesus with joy we witness, 
Almighty to deliver ; 
Our seals set too, that God is true, 
And reigns a king forever. 

Omnipotent Redeemer, 
Our ransomed souls adore thee : 
Our Saviour thou, we find it now 
And give thee all the glory. 
We sing thine arm unshortened, 
Brought through our sore temptation : 
With heart and voice in thee rejoice, 
The God of our salvation. 

The world's, and Satan's malice, 

Thou, Jesus, hast confounded ; 

And by thy grace, with songs of praise, 

Oar happy souls resounded. 

Accepting our deliverance, 

We triumph in thy favor ; 

And for the love which now we prove, 

Shall praise thy name forever.' " 



NOTE FROM PAGE 254. 

TO THE REV. GEORGE WHITEFIELD. 

Come on, my White-field, (since the strife is past, 

And friends at first are friends again at last), 

Our hands, and hearts, and counsels, let us join, 

In mutual league, t' advance the work divine. 

Our one contention, now our single aim, 

To pluck poor souls as brands out of the flame, 

To spread the victor}' of that bloody cross, 

And gasp our latest breath in the Redeemer's cause. 

Too long, alas ! we gave to Satan place, 
When party-zeal put on an angel's face : 
Too long we listened to the consuming fiend, 
Whose trumpet sounded " For the faith contend :" 
With hasty, blindfold rage in error's night, 
Then did we with our fellow-soldiers fight ! 
We could not then our Father's children know, 
But each mistook his brother for his foe. 
Foes to the truth, can ye in conscience spare 1 
" Tear them." the tempter cried, " in pieces tear!" 
So thick the darkness, so confused the noise, 
We took the stranger's for the shepherd's voice : 
Rash nature waved the controversial sword, 
On fire to fight the battles of the Lord : 
Fraternal love from every breast was driven 
And bleeding Charity returned to heaven. 
The Saviour saw our strife with pitying eye, 
And cast a look that made the shadows fly : 
Soon as the dayspring in his presence shone, 
We found the two fierce armies were but one, 
Common our hope, and family, our name, 
Our arms, our captain, and our crown the same ; 
Enlisted all, beneath Emanuel's sign, 
And purchased ev'ry soul with precious blood divine. 
20 



806 APPENDIX. 

Then let us cordially again embrace, 

Nor e'er infringe the league of gospel grace : 

Let its in Jesus' name to battle go, 

And turn our arras against the common foe ; 

Fight side by side, beneath the captain's eye, 

Chase the Philistines ; on their shoulders fly, 

And, more than conquerors, in the harness die. 

For whether I am born to " blush above," 

On earth suspicious of electing love, 

Or you overwhelmed with honorable shame, 

To shout the universal Saviour's name, 

It matters not ; if, all our conflicts past, 

Before the great white throne we meet at last. 

Our only care, while sojourning below, 

Our real faith, by real love to show, 

To blast the alien's hope, and let them see 

How friends of jarring sentiments agree : 

Not in a party's narrow banks confined, 

Not by a sameness of opinions joined, 

But cemented in the Redeemer's blood, 

And bound together in the heart of God. 

Can we forget from whence our union came, 
When first we simply met in Jesus' name 1 
The name mysterious of the God unknown, 
Whose secret love allured, and drew us on, 
Through a long, lonely, legal wilderness, 
To find the promised land of gospel peace. 
True yoke-fellows we then agreed to draw 
Th' intolerable burden of the law ; 
And jointly laboring on with zealous strife, 
Strengthened each other's hands to work for life; 
To turn against the world our steady face, 
And valiant for the truth, enjoy disgrace. 

Then, when we served our God through fear alone, 
Our views, our studies, and our hearts were one : 



APPENDIX. 307 

No smallest difference damped the social flame ; 

In Moses's school we thought and spoke the same. 

And must we : now in Christ, with shame confess, 

Our love was greater when our light was less 1 

When darkly through a glass, with servile awe. 

We first the spiritual commandment saw. 

Could we not then, our mutual love to show, 

Through fire and water for each other go 1 

We could ; we did. In a strange land I stood, 

And heckoned thee to cross the Atlantic flood. 

With true affection winged, thy ready mind 

Left country, fame, and ease, and friends behind ; 

And, eager all heaven's counsels to explore. 

Flew through the watery world, and grasped the shore. 

Nor did I linger, at my friend's desire, 

To tempt the furnace, and abide the fire; 

When suddenly sent forth, from the highways 

I called poor outcasts to the feast of grace. 

Urged to pursue the work by thee begun. 

Through good and ill report I still rush'd on, 

Nor felt the fire of popular applause, 

Nor fear'd the torturing flame in such a glorious cause. 

Ah ! wherefore did we ever seem to part, 
Or clash in sentiment, while one in heart! 
What dire device did the old serpent find, 
To put asunder those whom God had joined 1 
From folly, and self-love opinion rose, 
To sever friends who never yet were foes. 
To baffle and divert our noblest aim, 
Confound our pride and cover us with shame, 
To make us blush beneath her short-lived power, 
And glad the world with one triumphant hour. 

But lo ! the snare is broke, the captive's freed, 

By faith on all the hostile powers we tread, 

And crush through Jesus' strength, the serpent's head. 



308 APPENDIX. 

Jesus hath cast the curs'd accuser down, 
Hath rooted up the tares by Satan sown, 
Kindled anew the never-dying flame, 
And re-baptized our souls into his name. 

Soon as the virtue of his name we feel, 
The storm of strife subsides, the sea is still. 
All nature bows to his supreme command, 
And two are one in his Almighty hand. 
One in his hand, may we still remain, 
Fast bound in love's indissoluble chain : 
(That adamant which time and death defies, 
That golden chain, which draws us to the skies !) 
His love the tie that binds us to his throne, 
His love the bond that perfects us in one ; 
His love, (let all the ground of friendship see,) 
His love alone constrains our hearts t' agree, 
And gives the rivet of eternity. 



THE END. 



3477-9 



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